Popular games on consoles of the 90s (126 photos)

A selection of the most popular games for the console, personally, I remember almost all of them, and you? Which ones do you remember the most? By the way, many people even play them now.





The coolest game consoles designed for these video games at that time were Sega Mega Drive, Sony Playstation, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast.

Content

Commander Keen and Dangerous Dave series

The Lost Vikings (1992)

Lemmings Series

Civilization (1991) and Civilization II (1996)

Wolfenstein 3-D (1992)

Gobliiins (1991), Gobliins 2 (1992) and Goblins Quest 3 (1993)

Dune II (1992) and Dune 2000 (1998)

Mortal Kombat 1-4 (1992, 1993, 1995, 1997)

Alone in the Dark series

Comanche Series

The Legend of Kyrandia (1992, 1993, 1994)

Doom (1993) and Doom II (1994)

Master of Orion (1993) and Master of Magic (1994)

Myst (1993) and Riven (1997)

SimCity (1989), SimCity 2000 (1994) and SimCity 3000 (1999)

Arcade 90s

Quests from Sierra On-Line

Role-playing series of the 90s

Puzzle games of the 90s

Sports games of the 90s

Warcraft (1994) and Warcraft II (1995)

Full Throttle (1995)

Little Big Adventure (1994) and Little Big Adventure 2 (1997)

Descent (1995), Descent II (1996) and Descent 3 (1999)

Crusader: No Remorse (1995) and Crusader: No Regret (1996)

Command & Conquer and Red Alert series

Cyberia (1994) and Cyberia 2 (1995)

Theme Park (1994) and Theme Hospital (1997)

Wing Commander and X-Wing series

Heretic (1994) and Heretic II (1998), Hexen (1995) and Hexen II (1997)

MechWarrior 1-4 (1989, 1995, 1999, 2000)

Magic Carpet (1994) and Magic Carpet 2 (1995)

BioForge (1995)

Need for Speed ​​series

Settlers (1994), Settlers II (1996) and Settlers III (1998)

Heroes of Might and Magic I (1995), II (1996) and III (1999)

Syndicate (1993) and Syndicate Wars (1996)

Panzer General and Battle Isle series

Albion (1995)

Microsoft Flight Simulator Series

X-COM series (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001)

Quake (1996), Quake II (1997) and Quake III (1999)

Neverhood (1996)

Diablo (1996)

Duke Nukem 3D (1996)

Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat (1995) and Warhammer: Dark Omen (1998)

Z (1996)

Worms (1995), Worms 2 (1997) and Worms Armageddon (1999)

Lords of the Realm (1994), Lords of the Realm II (1996) and Lords of Magic (1997)

Tomb Raider series

Broken Sword (1996) and Broken Sword II (1997)

Jagged Alliance (1994) and Jagged Alliance 2 (1999)

Blade Runner (1997)

Beasts and Bumpkins (1997)

Fallout (1997) and Fallout 2 (1998)

Age of Empires (1997) and Age of Empires II (1999)

MDK (1997) and MDK2 (2000)

Half-Life (1998)

GEG (1997) and GEG+ (1998)

Dungeon Keeper (1997) and Dungeon Keeper 2 (1999)

Carmageddon (1997), Carmageddon II (1998) and Carmageddon TDR2000 (2000)

Magic & Mayhem (1998)

Creatures (1996), Creatures 2 (1998) and Creatures 3 (1999)

Grim Fandango (1998)

Starcraft (1998)

Interstate '76 (1997) and Interstate '82 (1999)

Delta Force Series

Commandos (1998)

Unreal (1998) and Unreal Tournament (1999)

Thief (1998) and Thief II (2000)

Battlezone (1998) and Battlezone II (1999)

Grand Theft Auto (1997) and Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999)

Baldur's Gate (1998) and Baldur's Gate II (2000)

System Shock (1994), System Shock 2 (1999) and Deus Ex (2000)

Homeworld (1999)

Planescape: Torment (1999)

Aliens versus Predator (1999)

Counter-Strike (1999)

The Sims (2000)

Hitman: Codename 47 (2000)

Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption (2000)

Diablo II (2000)

Commander Keen and Dangerous Dave series



Commander Keen and Dangerous Dave series

The famous company id Software began its journey with these game series. You don’t even have to try the first three parts of Commander Keen, they are too “antediluvian.” But 4, 5 and 6 (all released in 1991) are still quite suitable. Keen is a space boy who fights with alien monsters, passing level after level. The final goals are different - in the 5th part, for example, you need to save the galaxy, and in the 6th - to save your own nanny! :)

Of course, the plot here is secondary - this is a classic arcade game, in which the most interesting thing is to run, jump, shoot and collect bonuses, and also look for secrets in the levels. By the way, the game has a built-in mini-game similar to ping pong, remember? :) I also remember an evil, huge monster that couldn’t be killed, but as soon as it heard you, it started firing from its space machine gun :)

Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons (1990-1991)

Commander Keen in Keen Dreams (1991)

Commander Keen in Goodbye, Galaxy! (1991)

Commander Keen in Aliens Ate My Babysitter! (1991)

The Dangerous Dave series was similar, the first part in 1990 was not very interesting, something like an advanced Lode Runner. The second part - Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion (1991) - made the series famous (remember Babok Hezhek throwing knives?), and in 1993 two more parts in the same spirit were released.

Dangerous Dave in Copyright Infringement! (1990)

Dangerous Dave 2 (1990)

Dangerous Dave 3 in The Haunted Mansion (1991)

Dangerous Dave's Risky Rescue 4 (1993)

Dave Goes Nutz! 5(1993)

The Lost Vikings (1992)





The Lost Vikings (1992)

Another arcade game from another great company - Blizzard Entertainment (which was then called Silicon & Synapse). There is not one main character, but three - three Vikings were abducted by aliens - now they have to find their way home, passing 37 levels, quite diverse.

The great idea of ​​this game is that each Viking has his own unique abilities - one runs fast and jumps high, the second slashes with a sword and shoots with a bow, the third has a shield - and the player will have to use these skills individually and in combination to win enemies and solve all the puzzles. In 1996, the second part was released, but it was much worse (and it was made by a different company). By the way, in 1994, Blizzard made another good arcade game - BlackThorne.

Lemmings Series



The Lost Vikings (1992)

The first part was published in 1991. There weren't many games for consoles back then, so Lemmings was fascinating. We can say that this is a logic arcade game: in order to pass the next level, it was necessary to guide these non-existent animals to the exit in a limited time, using their various abilities - among them were diggers, blockers (they didn’t let others go where they shouldn’t), suiciders (exploded) and a lot of others.

There were a ton of sequels, including 3D Lemmings in 1995, but as with many video games, the move to 3D was a bad idea, and Lemmings Revolution was released in 2000, bringing fans of the series back to normal.

Lemmings (1991)

Lemmings 2: The Tribe (1993)

A New World Of Lemmings (1994)

Lemmings 3D (1995)

Lemmings Revolution (2000)

The creators of the eternal hit Worms were probably inspired by Lemmings - they simply forced the worms to fight with each other, and not look for a way to the exit in the level.

Civilization (1991) and Civilization II (1996)



Civilization (1991) and Civilization II (1996)

In the days of the first Civilization, video games were carried on 3- and 5-inch floppy disks, and sometimes several toys could be placed on a floppy disk. Civilization introduced us to the world of turn-based strategies and spawned a number of similar games, many of them associated with the name of Civilization author Sid Meier.

In Civilization, we were the creators of history, actually acting as a god: we built cities, chose how to develop (reinvent the wheel now or later), monitored the “level of happiness” of the population, made friends and fought with other civilizations (where would we be without this). And before you know it, we have grown from primitive people into a country launching a spaceship to Alpha Centauri.

Civilization V recently came out, so the series continues to evolve.

Wolfenstein 3-D (1992)



Wolfenstein 3-D (1992)

It was with this video game by id Software that the FPS (first-person shooter) genre began, one of the most popular genres to this day (however, back in 1991, the guys from id made the little-known shooters Hovertank 3D and Catacomb 3D).

Wolfenstein is the name of the castle in whose dungeons the Nazis hid the main character (that is, you), the American agent William Blazkovich. Well, you have to get out of the labyrinths of the castle, shooting at the SS, Gestapo, and maybe you will be able to kill Hitler himself! It was still impossible to jump and look up/down, but you could already strafe. Several weapons, first aid kits, secret rooms - many standards were laid down in Wolfenstein 3-D.

The video game received a sequel, Spear of Destiny, and more recently Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001) and Wolfenstein (2009), so the series is still alive. Blake Stone (1993) and Corridor 7 (1994) were released on the Wolfenstein 3-D engine.

Gobliiins (1991), Gobliins 2 (1992) and Goblins Quest 3 (1993)



Gobliiins (1991), Gobliins 2 (1992) and Goblins Quest 3 (1993)

Three episodes of a funny magical quest about goblins delighted us in the early 90s. The number of letters i in the name indicated the number of goblins you control, and each of them has its own characteristics. A rare exception - we were often pleased to find the right solution, because the wrong options were accompanied by funny episodes and laughter.

Later, the developers from Coktel Vision released a quest with the tricky name Woodruff and the Schnibble of Azimuth (1994) - if you love Goblins, then play it - the same style and the same humor. More recently, in 2009, Gobliiins 4 was released.

Dune II (1992) and Dune 2000 (1998)



Dune II (1992) and Dune 2000 (1998)

If the first turn-based strategy was Civilization, then the first real-time strategy (RTS - real-time strategy) was this game. The plot was based on the famous book by Frank Herbert; success was also facilitated by the fact that in 1984 a film based on the book directed by David Lynch was released.

The video game was a breakthrough, and soon the first Warcraft arrived. Dune II laid the foundations of the genre: base building, resource extraction and, of course, real-time battles. It was the most difficult for the Ordos. Remember the giant sandworms that ate equipment? :) If it were possible to unite troops into groups, then we could try to play now, but moving units one at a time is, to put it mildly, unusual. True, there are mods that correct this flaw. In 1998, a good remake was released - Dune 2000, so if you have nostalgia for Dune, then you can play it.

By the way, there was the first Dune (1992), which few people played, but at the same time it was an interesting toy, especially for fans of the book and film, a mixture of quest and strategy.

Mortal Kombat 1-4 (1992, 1993, 1995, 1997)



Mortal Kombat 1-4 (1992, 1993, 1995, 1997)

Few video games, even famous ones, can boast that an equally famous film was made based on them. Mortal Kombat is a classic fighting game, the game series developed from the beginning to the end of the 90s, in the fourth part it became three-dimensional, but the second part is considered a classic. Most players of the 90s can still list all their characters, and their hands still remember the button combinations for their favorite fatalities.

Of course, Mortal Kombat was more suited to video game consoles, so it continued its development exclusively on consoles in the 2000s.

Mortal Kombat (1992)

Mortal Kombat II (1993)

Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)

Mortal Kombat Trilogy (1996)

Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997)

Mortal Kombat 4 (1997)

Mortal Kombat Gold (1999)

Mortal Kombat: Special Forces (2000)

Mortal Kombat Advance (2001)

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)

Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition (2003)

Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004)

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005)

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006)

Mortal Kombat: Unchained (2006)

Ultimate Mortal Kombat (2007)

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008)

Mortal Kombat (2011)

Mortal Kombat Arcade Collection (2011)

Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition (2012)

Mortal Kombat X (2015)

Mortal Kombat XL (2016)

Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath (2020)

Alone in the Dark series



Alone in the Dark series

The first part was released already in 1992, which gives it the right to be called the very first horror quest. A journey through a creepy mansion (it was recommended to play at night to heighten fear) with excellent graphics and atmospheric music for those times. The second and third parts (1993 and 1995) continued traveling through abandoned mystical places and battles with evil spirits. Two more parts were released in 2001 and 2008. In its appearance and arcade elements, the video game is similar to Little Big Adventure. It is also worth mentioning two more mystical quests from Infogrames based on the famous Cthulhu myths of Lovecraft - Shadow of the Comet (1993) and Prisoner of Ice (1995).

Alone in the Dark (1992)

Alone in the Dark 2 (1993)

Alone in the Dark 3 (1994)

Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (2001)

Alone in the Dark (2008)

Alone in the Dark: Illumination (2015)

Comanche Series



Comanche Series

The famous helicopter simulator, which has grown from arcade to serious. Already in 1992, we could fly over a wide variety of territories and with different weather conditions, destroying air and ground targets. By the way, the author of Comanche - Nova Logic - is also the developer of the Delta Force series, and they are somewhat similar - Delta Force was similar to a soldier simulator.

Video games in the Comanche series were released until 2001.

Comanche: Maximum Overkill (1992)

Comanche: Global Challenge (1993)

Comanche: Over the Edge (1993)

Comanche CD (1994)

Comanche 2 (1995)

Werewolf vs Comanche 2.0 (1995)

Comanche 3 (1997)

Comanche Gold (1998)

Comanche 4 (2001)

The Legend of Kyrandia (1992, 1993, 1994)



The Legend of Kyrandia (1992, 1993, 1994)

The rivalry between Sierra On-Line and LucasArts was diluted by this trilogy of quests in the magical world. Surprisingly, Westwood Studios managed to create successful video games in a variety of genres in the 90s (what a pity that this did not save it from closure). In strategy, these were Dune 2 (and Dune 2000), the Command & Conquer and Red Alert series. In role-playing games, these were the Eye of the Beholder and Lands of Lore series, as well as Nox. Quests include Blade Runner and The Legend of Kyrandia series. There was also an arcade called The Lion King.

If you liked Kyrandia, then you played (or should play) another series - Simon the Sorcerer - the first (1993) and second (1995) parts were released in the 90s, and three more in the 2000s. A fantasy world, an aspiring wizard, and a large dose of humor - all these are the hallmarks of both series.

Doom (1993) and Doom II (1994)



Doom (1993) and Doom II (1994)

A cult game of all times. So famous that even those who have never played computer video games know about it :) Just a year after Wolfenstein 3-D, id Software released a new first-person shooter (I suspect that the guys, getting carried away, worked for days), which became the “father” for all subsequent shooters. The demonic and even satanic (thank you, John Romero) toy, where you shot all kinds of fiends of hell, gained enormous popularity.

You still couldn't jump, but now there was an online video game! And a level map. When I got a home computer, my first toy was, oddly enough, Dark Forces, which came out in 1995 (the second part in 1997), it was the first shooter based on Star Wars. So, there you could already jump, look up/down, and the graphics were better than in Doom, but who remembers Dark Forces now? By the way, this good thing was “killed” by the lack of a network structure and the ability to remain at the level.

The words IDDQD and IDKFA remain forever in the memory of fans :) Doom received many official and unofficial sequels and mods, I won’t even list them. For example, I played a mod with several levels that were nothing more than the building of my own university, and the rector was a cyberdemon who had to be killed at the end :)

Doom is the most alive: Doom 3 was released in 2004, Doom 4 is in development, a film adaptation was released in 2005, and Doom Resurrection was released for the iPhone in 2009.

Master of Orion (1993) and Master of Magic (1994)



Master of Orion (1993) and Master of Magic (1994)

Civilization's legacy has been extensive and among its many followers, these two excellent video games stand out. We were offered alternative worlds compared to “Civilization”: in MoO the action takes place in space, and in MoM - in a fantasy world.

Master of Orion was impressive in its scope - economics, technology, ship design, battles, diplomacy, espionage - all rolled into one package. Subsequently, two more parts of Master of Orion were released (in 1996 and 2003), but they had many changes that were not for the better, so fans of the series still prefer the first part.

But there was no continuation of Master of Magic, which is a shame, because if you did a remake now with the same gameplay, but with beautiful graphics and sound, the toy could compete with Heroes of Might and Magic and Disciples. Thanks to the efforts of Triumph Studios, we finally got the successor to MoM in the form of Age of Wonders (1999) and Age of Wonders II (2002).

Myst (1993) and Riven (1997)



Myst (1993) and Riven (1997)

Extraordinarily beautiful graphics for those times and a mystical (one would like to say Myst’ic) exciting plot made this game a cult favorite. With 6 million copies sold (Riven has 4.5 million), Myst is among the best-selling video games of all time. It gave birth to an entire genre - first-person graphic quests - and many of them are still awarded the epithet “Myst-like”.

Simultaneously with Myst, another famous piece was released - The 7th Guest (1993, 2 million copies sold) - and its sequel The 11th Hour (1995). "The 7th Guest" was the first program to use video scenes and was the first puzzle horror story. If Myst's successor was Lighthouse (1996), then 7th Guest's successor was Shivers (1995). Also in 1993, Return to Zork was released, a graphical embodiment with a first-person view of the famous series of text quests of the 80s, and in 1996, its continuation, Zork Nemesis, was released. In the Myst genre, Lost Eden (1995) also comes to mind - a beautiful journey through the world of dinosaurs.

Myst not only spawned sequels, remakes and parodies, but even books and comics. Riven continued the work of Myst, and in the 2000s 3 more sequels were released. In 2000, a three-dimensional remake of the first part, realMyst, was released, and the video game was also released on various platforms, including iPhone, PSP, Pocket PC, Nintendo DS.

SimCity (1989), SimCity 2000 (1994) and SimCity 3000 (1999)



SimCity (1989), SimCity 2000 (1994) and SimCity 3000 (1999)

This classic series spawned an entire genre. And the developer company Maxis itself, in addition to video game sequels (still in production), has released a bunch of similar toys: SimEarth, SimFarm, SimCopter, SimAnt, SimLife, SimIsle, SimTower, SimPark, SimSafari and others, and finally the apotheosis in the form of The Sims.

Business or life simulators seemed to be the embodiment of the Monopoly board game. I remember Transport Tycoon (1994), Theme Park (1994), Capitalism (1995), Theme Hospital (1997). And the alternative to modern SimCity was the ancient Roman Caesar, and Settlers too.

Simultaneously with the first SimCity, Populous was released in 1989, in which the developers decided not to limit themselves to one city, but gave the player control of an entire nation in the ancient world. Populous became the founder of a new genre - “God simulator”, and in the 90s 2 more parts were released, and in 2001 Black & White was released, which became the successor to the series.

SimCity can serve as a training program for future mayors: after all, you need to rebuild a modern city, with specific goals. Transport, energy, taxes, resistance to force majeure, etc. - all this needs to be managed.

Simcity Classic (1989)

SimCity 2000 (1993)

SimCity 3000 (1999)

SimCity 4 (2003)

SimCity Societies (2007)

SimCity (2013)

SimCity BuildIt (2014)

Arcade 90s



Mario

An eternal genre that will be popular for a long time - after all, you don’t always want to play something complicated, but now it’s convenient to play an arcade game on a phone or portable game console. In the early 90s, when video games were pretty simple, there were a lot of arcade games. I already remembered Commander Keen, Dangerous Dave and The Lost Vikings, and now other famous arcade games and their heroes:

— I’ll start with two famous heroes at once - Mario the plumber and Sonic the hedgehog - in general, of course, these are not PC games (although some of them were also on PC), but their heroes are so famous that it’s impossible to write about arcade games without mentioning them that would be blasphemy :) By the way, the Mario series is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling game of all time.



Prince of Persia

- Prince of Persia (1989), Prince of Persia II (1993), Prince of Persia 3D (1999) - another video game that needs no introduction. The third part was similar to Tomb Raider, and in the 2000s the game series was successfully revived and even made into a film.



Gods (1991)

— Gods (1991) — a medieval-mystical arcade game from the Bitmap Brothers, who later gave us strategy Z; at that time, Gods had excellent graphics.



Metal Mutant (1991)

- Metal Mutant (1991) - the original toy, with quest elements - we control a transforming robot that could turn into a cyborg, a combat robot or a metal dinosaur.



Prehistoric (1991)

- Prehistorik (1991) and Prehistorik 2 (1993) - remember this funny primitive guy with a club in search of food? :)



Ugh! (1992)

- Ugh! (1992) - also a primitive arcade game, only here you didn’t have to run, jump and hit dinosaurs, but deftly control a wooden helicopter.



Duke Nukem (1991)

— Duke Nukem (1991) and Duke Nukem II (1993) — if you didn’t know, old Duke was an arcade game first, but even then he was a very cool guy :)



Dizzy Series

— Dizzy series — admit it, girls, have you spent more than one hour playing as this cute and positive egg man? There were no battles or shooting, the game was more like a quest.



Another World (1991), Flashback (1992) and Fade to Black (1995)



Another World (1991), Flashback (1992) and Fade to Black (1995)



Another World (1991), Flashback (1992) and Fade to Black (1995)

- Another World (1991), Flashback (1992) and Fade to Black (1995) - these three video games from Delphine Software had quest elements, if the first two are arcade games, then Fade to Black is a third-person shooter (almost not the father of the genre, as it came out before Tomb Raider).



Aladdin (1993)

— Aladdin (1993) – arcade game based on the famous Disney cartoon.



The Lion King (1994)

- The Lion King (1994) - a journey through the jungle of the growing Simba was made by the famous Westwood Studios.



Jazz Jackrabbit (1994) and Jazz Jackrabbit 2 (1998)

- Jazz Jackrabbit (1994) and Jazz Jackrabbit 2 (1998) - the green rabbit was a great alternative to Sonic the Hedgehog.



Mystic Towers (1994)

— Mystic Towers (1994) — an isometric arcade game with a role-playing bent, we walk through the labyrinths of the castle and fight monsters.



BlackThorne (1994)

- BlackThorne (1994) - Blizzard made not only The Lost Vikings, but also this arcade action game: reminiscent of Prince of Persia, only instead of a sword there is a shotgun and grenades.



Earthworm Jim (1994), Earthworm Jim 2 (1996), Earthworm Jim 3D (1999)

- Earthworm Jim (1994), Earthworm Jim 2 (1996), Earthworm Jim 3D (1999) - a superhero worm fighting universal evil gained enormous popularity, an animated series was made about him and a comic book was made about him. By the way, remember the main character of the Neverhood quest, he looks like Jim the worm, right? They were both designed by artist Douglas Ten Napel.



Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee (1997) and Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus (1998)

— Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee (1997) and Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus (1998) are very original games that revived the genre, there’s nothing to compare it with, it’s more of a two-dimensional quest. Or is it still an arcade? In general, if you haven’t had a chance to play it yet, it’s not too late - fans of both genres should like it.



Postal (1997)

- Postal (1997) - you can say that this is a third-person shooter, but the gameplay was simple, so we will consider it an isometric arcade game. It was distinguished by the fact that it was banned in many countries (of course, the level of violence went off scale, we play as a maniac killer and shoot everyone in a row), and it would have remained a scandalous mid-level video game if its cult sequel had not been released in 2003 from first person. The film was released in 2007, and all fans are waiting for Postal 3 this year.

Quests from Sierra On-Line



Sierra

We can say that it was the Sierra company that invented the quest (adventure) as a genre. Escape games were very popular in the 90s, and the main rivalry was between two companies: Sierra versus LucasArts. And if the second one made a lot of them, then Sierra has released a simply mind-boggling number of video games in this genre, and it is famous specifically for its game series.



King's Quest

— King’s Quest (8 parts): adventures of the royal family in a fantasy world. By the way, in the 2000s they made remakes of the first three parts, so you can still play them now.



Space Quest

— Space Quest (6 parts): a humorous series about the misadventures of a failed space janitor who often saves the universe by accident :)



Quest for Glory

— Quest for Glory (5 parts): again a fantasy world, and at the beginning of the game you had to choose a hero class: warrior, thief or mage (reminds me of anything?). At the same time, in addition to solving quest problems, there were battles and a role-playing component.



Leisure Suit Larry

- Leisure Suit Larry (7 parts in the 90s and 2 more parts in the 2000s) - the adventures of a woman lover Larry, a video game with erotic elements, the incentive for playing through it was often to look for these same elements :)



Police Quest

- Police Quest (4 parts, then the series continued in other genres) - police officers investigate crimes, and former police officers were directly involved in its creation.



Gabriel Knight

— Gabriel Knight (3 parts) — a private detective reveals mystical adventures.



Gobliiins

— Gobliiins (3 parts in the 90s, the 4th was released in 2009) — a humorous quest about the adventures of goblins in a fairy-tale world.



EcoQuest

— EcoQuest (2 parts) — educational quests for children.



Phantasmagoria

- Phantasmagoria (2 parts) - the famous horror game was released in 1995 on 7 discs (which was unprecedented for those times), a young couple moves into a house with a dark past, we play as the girl and try to uncover the secrets of the house - in fact, it was a film , since the characters were not drawn, but filmed - they were played by real actors. The second part (1996) was filmed in a similar way and was released on 5 discs. In the same horror genre, “Ripper” was released in 1996 from the Take-Two Interactive studio (on 6 discs) with Christopher Walken as a guest star.



Phantasmagoria

— Shivers (2 parts) — Myst-like horror game with a set of puzzles. Here we can also mention Lighthouse (1996) from the same genre.



Torin's Passage

— Of the single toys without a sequel, it is worth mentioning Torin’s Passage (1995) - a fantasy quest with a young hero in the title role. I also associate with him the excellently rendered Fable (1996) from Sir-Tech.

Role-playing series of the 90s

If the third-person view is now popular in RPGs, then in the first half of the 90s the first-person view, like in shooters, was generally accepted. Only the Ultima series had a player-centric perspective, and only with the release of Diablo, Fallout and Baldur's Gate did the trend turn towards isometric RPGs. Let's look at the most famous role-playing series:



Ultima

— Ultima (9 parts) — the first 5 parts came out back in the 80s, and 4 more came out in the 90s. Big world, NPCs living their own lives, freedom of action, no clear division into Good and Evil. We can say that this series stood at the origins of the genre (the first part was released in 1981, and its prequel in 1979) and became the parent of the RPG with a third-person view. The series was reborn into the famous Ultima Online, in fact it was the first online RPG, since it some people spent much more time in virtual life than in real life.



Ultima Underworld

— Ultima Underworld (2 parts) — the contribution of the Ultima game series to the role-playing genre can hardly be overestimated. If in other classic series the movement was frame-by-frame, then here it was continuous, like in shooters (by the way, the game was released simultaneously with Wolfenstein 3D), and here you could look up/down!



Wizardry

— Wizardry (8 parts) — 5 parts in the 80s, 2 parts in the 90s and the 8th in 2001. A team of several characters with unique characteristics and equipment for each, traveling through labyrinths and killing monsters - these are typical features of role-playing series of that time, and Wizardry as a classic series is no exception.



Might and Magic

— Might and Magic (9 parts) — 2 parts in the 80s, 6 parts in the 90s and the 9th in 2002. A large world that grows with the release of each new part, as well as a choice between turn-based combat and real-time combat - that's what comes to mind about Might and Magic. Another famous series is also associated with this world - Heroes of Might and Magic.



Eye of the Beholder

— Eye of the Beholder (3 parts) — the first two parts were made by Westwood, the third by SSI (it’s worse). Carefully drawn graphics (a Westwood signature), interesting plot, witty riddles and hiding places, difficult battles.



Lands of Lore

— Lands of Lore (3 parts) — Westwood made this series after Eye of the Beholder, excellent graphics and sound.



The Elder Scrolls

— The Elder Scrolls (4 parts) — 2 parts in the 90s, 2 parts in the 2000s. Action RPG with a huge world, which received a sequel in the form of the famous Morrowind and Oblivion.



Betrayal at Krondor

- Betrayal at Krondor (1993), Betrayal at Antara (1997) and Return to Krondor (1998) - this series left you feeling like you were in a book (and it was - the video game was based on fantasy works) and became one of characters in it, the plot was divided into chapters, the classic first-person view was interspersed with isometric battles.



Ishar

— Ishar (3 parts) — this not very well-known role-playing series featured excellent graphics.



Allods

— Allods (3 parts) — a video game that has gained worldwide fame. Now it has been reborn into Allods Online.

Puzzle games of the 90s

To be honest, I haven’t played many games in this genre, but I remember a few.



Rockford (1988) and Supaplex (1991)



Rockford (1988) and Supaplex (1991)

- Rockford (1988) and Supaplex (1991) - this is a legacy of the 80s, they were like Digger and Pac-Man, the task was to collect all the bonuses in the level and not die at the same time.



Chessmaster and Battle Chess



Chessmaster and Battle Chess

- Chessmaster and Battle Chess series - Chessmaster has been the most popular implementation of chess on a computer since the 80s to the present day, and Battle Chess introduced an element of dynamism - the chess pieces were alive and actually walked and fought on the field.



Color Lines (1992)

— Color Lines (1992) — the main competitor of Solitaire Solitaire as a “time killer” for female workers :)



The Incredible Machine

— The Incredible Machine series — it was necessary to connect various mechanisms and devices into a sequential chain, which, when launched, would complete the task of the level.

Sports games of the 90s



Electronic Arts

In 1993, the famous football and hockey series from Electronic Arts: FIFA and NHL started. From golf simulators, I remember the Microsoft Golf series, from billiards simulators - Virtual Pool, both started in 1995. I haven't played much sports video games, so if you remember, write in the comments.

Let's get back to our review.

Warcraft (1994) and Warcraft II (1995)



Warcraft (1994) and Warcraft II (1995)

The glory of the great Blizzard began with them - a company that makes only hits. While Dune II was set in a future world, Warcraft offered a fantasy alternative. These were the first strategies that laid the foundations of the genre. In the first Warcraft, it was finally possible to unite troops - up to a maximum of 4 units, and not with a “frame”, but using the Shift button :)

Warcraft II brought Blizzard to the top - it was an excellent game in all components: nice “cartoon” graphics, beautiful videos, multiplayer, great voice acting, map editor.

It seems that the Blizzard developers worked for days after the first Warcraft - to release the second part just a year after the first - it’s hard to imagine how they did it.

The second part received a sequel - Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal (1996) - it was made by Cyberlore Studios. Warcraft II was so popular that the continuation of the series - Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos - was released only in 2002, and in 2004 World of Warcraft was released, and the word Warcraft turned into an entire universe.

Full Throttle (1995)



Full Throttle (1995)

The 90s were also the heyday of quests; now this genre has been forgotten, which is a pity. Some of the most striking video games in this genre were given to us by LucasArts: Grim Fandango, the Monkey Island series, the Indiana Jones series, Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max Hit the Road, The Dig, Loom - it’s simply amazing how one company managed to make them all .

Full Throttle has become my favorite quest. You could feel like a biker, ride a Harley-Davidson and feel a breath of freedom right here. In the 2000s, LucasArts decided to make the second part of Full Throttle, and not a cartoon quest, but 3D. Apparently, this was a bad idea, and all the developers of the first part had already left the company by that time, so Full Throttle 2 was never destined to be born.

The lead game designer for many of LucasArts' quests was Tim Schafer, who continues to make great original video games: Psychonauts, Brutal Legend, and the soon-to-be-released Matryoshka game Stacking.

Little Big Adventure (1994) and Little Big Adventure 2 (1997)



Little Big Adventure (1994) and Little Big Adventure 2 (1997)

An unusual thing. If we try to characterize it, we can say that it is a three-dimensional quest action game in an isometric perspective. The video game is one of a kind, standing apart from the rest. Childish, but at the same time adult. We play as a guy named Twinsen, his occupation is difficult to determine, we can say that he is an aspiring magician.

The uniqueness of Little Big Adventure is that we are immersed in a separate world, living its own life, very similar to ours, but at the same time it is clear that this is a completely different planet and you can’t help but feel that anything can happen here.

Descent (1995), Descent II (1996) and Descent 3 (1999)



Descent (1995), Descent II (1996) and Descent 3 (1999)

To stand out from the Doom-like shooters, it was necessary to come up with something different. And the developers from Parallax Software came up with a flying shooter! Indeed, now we were free to move in 6 directions in our own spaceship, clearing the labyrinths of robots and blowing up reactors. Another merit of Descent is that it showed us three-dimensional objects even before Quake! By the way, there was another shooter of the same year with 3D objects - The Terminator: Future Shock (its sequel - The Terminator: SkyNET - was released a year later, in 1996).

Each title had several additions, and Descent 3 eased the claustrophobia by making the levels more open. The three-part series then grew into one of the best space simulators, Descent FreeSpace (1998) and FreeSpace 2 (1999), however, these 2 games were already developed by other companies.

Crusader: No Remorse (1995) and Crusader: No Regret (1996)



Crusader: No Remorse (1995) and Crusader: No Regret (1996)

The famous company Origin has made a lot of great video games, including two parts of the isometric action game Crusader. A high-tech action movie with a ton of weapons (firearms, laser, plasma, freezing, fire, disintegrating, homing), allowing you to destroy enemies in the future world in a variety of ways.

Teleporters, surveillance cameras, controlled robots, power shields, etc. - many different ideas made it possible to excitingly go through level after level accompanied by dynamic music with breaks to visit the base, purchasing new weapons there. Eh, add role-playing elements to Crusader (and it was made by Origin, the company behind the famous Ultima role-playing series) - so that you could “dress up” this superhero, upgrade your characteristics and skills - and you would get a kind of high-tech Diablo, but alas...

Command & Conquer and Red Alert series



Command & Conquer and Red Alert series

In 1995, Command & Conquer was released, based on Dune II. The competition between Blizzard's fantasy world and Westwood's tech world continued: after the rivalry between Warcraft and Dune II, it was now Warcraft II and C&C. In addition to the gameplay itself, I remember video inserts between missions and an excellent soundtrack. NOD and GDI - almost every player of the 90s knows these abbreviations.

Command & Conquer (1995)

Command & Conquer: Covert Operations (1995)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert (1996)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert - Counterstrike (1997)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert - The Aftermath (1997)

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun (1999)

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun - Firestorm (2000)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 (2000)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 - Yuri's Revenge (2001)

Command & Conquer: Renegade (2002)

Command & Conquer: Generals (2003)

Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour (2003)

Command & Conquer: The First Decade (2006)

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (2007)

Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath (2008)

Mideast Crisis 2 (2008)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (2008)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising (2009)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Commander's Challenge (2009)

Command and Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight (2010)

Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances (2012)

If before this in RTS the worlds were fictional, then in Red Alert (1996) real troops fought - allies against the USSR, on land, in the air and on water. The Red Alert series is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling RTS in the world (more than 35 million copies sold).

C&C and Red Alert were followed in 1997 by KKND - Krush, Kill 'n' Destroy (oh yes, those explosions) and Total Annihilation (the first strategy with terrain and 3D units).

The worlds of C&C and Red Alert have continued to develop to this day: C&C 4 was released in 2010, and Red Alert 3 in 2008.

Cyberia (1994) and Cyberia 2 (1995)



Cyberia (1994) and Cyberia 2 (1995)

I still dream of glasses like Zach's :) Well, we just have to wait until 2027, because according to the plot of the video game, that's when everything happens. A mixture of quest, shooter and simulator genres, as well as video inserts and excellent graphics, made Cyberia a success. Apparently, the quest component was not enough for similar toys - Rebel Assault (1993) and Rebel Assault II (1995) - to seriously compete with Cyberia. BioForge (1995) is also associated with this video game.

Theme Park (1994) and Theme Hospital (1997)



Theme Park (1994) and Theme Hospital (1997)

There were games in which, if you did everything correctly, you could step away from the computer, drink some tea, and in them your development and your own life continued. Perhaps it was Settlers and these two things. Building your own park, with rides and selling ice cream, listening to the squeals and joy of children, or building a hospital, equipping all the offices and hiring doctors - it was very exciting.

Theme Park was a very successful video game (it was included in the list of the best-selling PC games of all time - 3.5 million copies sold) and received two good sequels, already in 3D: Theme Park World (1999) and Theme Park Inc (2001).

Theme Hospital was filled with humor: we shot rats running around the building; they were treated for unusual diseases: invisibility, delusions of grandeur, swelling of the head by piercing it, and from a long tongue by cutting it off; and of course the unforgettable sounds when patients go to the toilet :)

Wing Commander and X-Wing series



Wing Commander and X-Wing series

Arguably the most popular space simulators of the 90s: you most likely played one of them and hated the other. If the X-Wing series was in the Star Wars universe, then in Wing Commander, on the contrary, a whole world was created, on which a film, an animated series and books were written.

Wing Commander III amazed with its video inserts - in 1994 this was an unprecedented event - in fact it was a film. The main character is played by none other than Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker - a sort of irony in relation to the X-Wing series and Rebel Assault. The story in the Wing Commander series was as important a part of the game as the gameplay itself, and if you add to this the non-linear passage, it becomes clear why this world was so captivating. As part of the series, Privateer and Privateer 2 were also released, which continued the traditions of the famous Elite, and these were no longer spaceship simulators, but simulators of life in space, combining several genres in one video game.

Wing Commander (1990)

Wing Commander: The Secret Missions (1990)

Wing Commander: The Secret Missions 2 Crusade (1990)

Wing Commander 2: Vengeance of the Kilrathi (1991)

Wing Commander: Privateer (1993)

Wing Commander Academy (1993)

Wing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger (1994)

Wing Commander Armada (1994)

Super Wing Commander (1994)

Wing Commander 4: The Price of Freedom (1995)

Privateer 2: The Darkening (1996)

Wing Commander: Prophecy (1997)

Wing Commander: Secret Ops (1998)

Wing Commander: Privateer Gemini Gold (2005)

Wing Commander Arena (2007)

Wing Commander Saga: The Darkest Dawn (2012)

The X-Wing series was inferior to Wing Commander in graphics, but it gave all fans the opportunity to feel like they were part of the famous movie saga - and they could play on the side of the rebels (for example, blow up the Death Star) and on the side of the Empire. I remember that receiving further awards and titles was very motivating to complete the course :)

Star Wars: X-Wing (1993)

Star Wars: Starfighter (1994)

Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter (1997)

Star Wars: X-Wing Collector's Series (1998)

In support of the Star Wars universe, it is worth mentioning another “simulator” within its framework - Rebel Assault was released in 1993 (and Rebel Assault II in 1995), which was one of the first video games with filmed video scenes and full voice acting (and only the second some of them were practically a movie), but, unfortunately, they are remembered only for this; rail shooters with limited freedom of action did not become popular (except perhaps Cyberia).

Heretic (1994) and Heretic II (1998), Hexen (1995) and Hexen II (1997)



Heretic (1994) and Heretic II (1998), Hexen (1995) and Hexen II (1997)

There is a gaming law: as soon as a popular console game appears in the fantasy genre, soon after it an alternative appears in the fantasy world, and vice versa. The companies id Software and Raven Software still go hand in hand, and in the distant 90s, Heretic was released shortly after Doom.

A dark shooter in a world of magic and mysticism - that’s what can be said about these game series. In addition, the developers from Raven have always tried to add something new: Heretic is the first shooter where you can look up/down; in Hexen you could choose one of three classes (and this made it interesting to play through it not once, but three times); in Hexen II - four classes, quests, role-playing elements, plus the video game became a new word in graphics at that time; and in Heretic II they even made it a third-person view. Well, Heretic and Hexen can easily be placed in the top 10 best shooters of the 90s, or even in the top 5.

If you liked mysticism, then you also played Blood (1997) - a kind of mixture of Heretic and Doom, and on the Duke Nukem 3D engine :) A toy with a fair amount of black humor and original ideas, one weapon in the form of a voodoo doll is worth it. Blood II (1998) was already in a different style, so it did not gain popularity. Another shooter of the time, similar to Heretic and Hexen, was Witchaven (1995) and Witchaven II (1996).

MechWarrior 1-4 (1989, 1995, 1999, 2000)



MechWarrior 1-4 (1989, 1995, 1999, 2000)

To differentiate yourself in the world of shooters, you had to come up with something special. Controlling a giant fighting robot was a special idea. And controlling an entire squad of robots, upgrading your mech and weapons, and of course shooting lasers, missiles, etc. - all this turned a special idea into a hit game. After the classic MechWarrior 2, we were pleased with 3D graphics in the third and fourth parts.

Players were divided into two types: those who played MechWarrior for a short time and never tried again, and those who became fans of the series. We must say thank you to the developers: they constantly released sequels and additions to all parts until 2004, so as not to let fans get bored. And now robot lovers are waiting for the revival of the series after 7 years since the last edition - a new MechWarrior is in development.

It is worth mentioning that in 1998 the game Shogo was released, combining the features of a shooter and MechWarrior.

Magic Carpet (1994) and Magic Carpet 2 (1995)



Magic Carpet (1994) and Magic Carpet 2 (1995)

Bullfrog has a reputation for coming up with original video games, and this one is no exception. Who among us has not dreamed of flying on a magic carpet? The developers thought of implementing a flying shooter in a fantasy world (and in the high-tech world we had Descent and there were rockets instead of fireballs).

We collected mana, fought monsters and wizards for it, and most importantly, we flew over this magical world! The graphics, beautiful for those times, made this world believable and allowed you to enjoy flights and battles.

BioForge (1995)



BioForge (1995)

Fantastic 3D action quest from a third person perspective. 3D models (which at that time was a new level in graphics), good voice acting, an interesting plot - the gradual restoration of the memory of the cyborg protagonist during the game (just like in Planescape: Torment), the tense atmosphere of an empty space base, great interactivity (remember , how could you kill an enemy with your own hand?). However, in order to fully enjoy the toy, you needed a good knowledge of the English language.

Need for Speed ​​series



Need for Speed ​​series

A legendary series that is already essentially associated with the word “car simulator”. The series is still very popular; in the 2000s, a sequel was released every year. The first part of Need for Speed ​​(1994) was revolutionary: beautiful graphics, a large selection of cars, convenient controls, different race modes: against rivals, duels, against the clock. The second part (1997) was not very different from the first and slightly improved the graphics. But the third part (1998) further strengthened the glory of NFS: support for 3D accelerators, the police appeared, the weather and day/night changed, the soundtrack changed depending on the situation.

In the fourth part - High Stakes (1999) - an economic component was added (we earn money, buy new spare parts and cars).

The Need For Speed ​​(1994)

Need for Speed ​​2 (1997)

Need for Speed ​​3: Hot Pursuit (1998)

Need For Speed: High Stakes (1999)

Need For Speed: Porsche Unleashed (2000)

Need For Speed: Motor City Online (2001)

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 (2002)

Need For Speed: Underground (2003)

Need for Speed: Underground 2 (2004)

Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)

Need for Speed: Carbon (2006)

Need for Speed: ProStreet (2007)

Need for Speed: Undercover (2008)

Need for Speed ​​SHIFT (2009)

Need for Speed ​​NITRO (2009)

Need for Speed ​​World (2010)

Shift 2 Unleashed (2011)

Need for Speed: The Run (2011)

Need For Speed: Most Wanted (2012)

Need for Speed: Rivals (2013)

Need for Speed: No Limits (2015)

Need for Speed ​​(2015)

Need for Speed ​​Payback (2017)

Need for Speed ​​Heat (2019)

Need for Speed's main competitor was the Screamer series, which featured excellent graphics but more arcade-style gameplay. For fans of racing motorcycles there were Road Rash (1996) and the Moto Racer series. For fans of big-wheeled vehicles, there was Monster Truck Madness (1996) and Monster Truck Madness 2 (1998). Another niche in car simulators - truck racing - was explored by one of the few successful video games of the 90s - Truckers (1999).

By the way, right now I’m listening to the super dynamic track Hyper - We Control, from the NFS Most Wanted soundtrack, just the perfect accompaniment for crazy racing :)

Settlers (1994), Settlers II (1996) and Settlers III (1998)



Settlers (1994), Settlers II (1996) and Settlers III (1998)

A wonderful series that has continued to this day (the 7th part was released in 2010) and will certainly continue in the future. If most RTS strategies are aimed at battles, then in medieval Settlers we focus on construction, production and economy, although there are also battles, and the developers increased their role with the release of each new part.

In Settlers we built a village, then it turned into a city, and sometimes into a country. This is a strategy for those who are not in a hurry. You can build a city, and then just pour yourself some tea and watch how life flows here: here they sow a field, here they transport mined coal, and here comes a fisherman, here he casts a fishing rod, waits for the bite... Such attention to detail made Settlers even more plausible.

Settlers II (this part became a classic) had an unusual multiplayer - two people could play on one computer at the same time - the screen was divided in half and everyone played on their own half, all that was left was to plug in two mice.

An alternative to Settlers (as well as SimCity) in the 90s was the Caesar series (1992, 1995, 1998), where the action took place in Ancient Rome.

It’s nice that with the release of each new part in Settlers nothing fundamentally changes (the developers are Germans, famous for their rationality), but the game becomes more and more beautiful and more believable, the 7th part is already a whole world.

The Settlers (1994)

The Settlers 2: Veni Vidi Vici (1996)

The Settlers 3 (1998)

The Settlers 4 (2001)

The Settlers: Heritage of Kings (2005)

The Settlers 2: 10TH Anniversary (2006)

The Settlers 2 Remake (2006)

The Settlers 2: The Next Generation (2006)

The Settlers: Rise of an Empire (2007)

The Settlers II: Awakening of Cultures (2008)

The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom (2010)

The Settlers Online (2011)

The Settlers: Kingdoms of Anteria (2016)

Heroes of Might and Magic I (1995), II (1996) and III (1999)



Heroes of Might and Magic I (1995), II (1996) and III (1999)

Legendary game series. The turn-based fantasy-style role-playing strategy was born from the old video game King's Bounty (1990), a remake of which, by the way, was released in 2008, and also belongs to the gaming world of the Might and Magic role-playing series. The first part of “Heroes” became successful, the second one became a hit, the third one ascended to the gaming hall of fame, after which this series can easily be included in the top ten best games of all time.

Castles, battles, artifacts, interesting campaigns, magic - “Heroes” offered us a whole magical world, comparable to the world of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, it was impossible not to plunge into this world. The success was facilitated by the presence of a Hot Seat mode in the video game, in which several people could play on one computer.

While there was no “Heroes”, we played a very similar Warlords series (three parts were released in the 90s - in 1989, 1993 and 1997). But “Heroes” won - the graphics were better, and the battles were not automatic. A competitor to Heroes appeared at the very end of the 90s - simultaneously with the third part, Disciples was released in 1999.

Heroes IV (2002) was weak, the beautiful graphics could not hold players, a lot of things changed in the video game for the worse and the “playability” was gone. The fifth part (2006) returned everything to normal, for which thanks to our developers from Nival Interactive, who in their youth probably spent more than one month playing “Heroes”. In March of this year we are waiting for the sixth part, judging by the news and previews, everything will be fine.

Heroes of Might and Magic (1995)

Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars (1996)

Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia (1999)

Heroes of Might and Magic IV (2002)

Heroes of Might and Magic V (2006)

Might & Magic Heroes VI (2011)

Might & Magic Heroes VII (2015)

Syndicate (1993) and Syndicate Wars (1996)



Syndicate (1993) and Syndicate Wars (1996)

Bullfrog has made a ton of good video games for the console, and here's another one of them. Here we are in a cyberpunk world of the future (the atmosphere is similar to Blade Runner) and we control a squad of combat cyborgs in an isometric projection. The game is a little similar to the X-COM series: it also combines two components - a small strategic one, with research, and a main one - tactical, with battles. But in X-COM the battles are turn-based, but here they are in real time. I remember the pleasant opportunity to turn passers-by into members of the squad. The series has not been forgotten, and its continuation is in development.

Panzer General and Battle Isle series



Panzer General and Battle Isle series

If you loved turn-based strategy games but didn't like fantasy worlds, you've probably played one of these series. Panzer General took us back to the Second World War, and we fought with real-life models of military equipment, and Battle Isle took place in a fantasy world, however, very similar to ours, the same tanks, planes and even armored trains.

Panzer General (1994)

Panzer General 2 (1997)

Panzer General 3D: Assault (1999)

Panzer General 3: Scorched Earth (2000)

Panzer General: Allied Assault (2009)

While Panzer General focused on combat, Battle Isle also focused on construction and logistics.

Battle Isle (1991)

Battle Isle Data Disk I (1992)

Battle Isle Data Disk II (1993)

Battle Isle 2200 (1994)

Battle Isle II Data Disk I (1994)

Battle Isle 2220: Shadow of the Emperor (1995)

Incubation: Time Is Running Out (1997)

Incubation: The Wilderness Missions (1997)

Battle Isle: The Andosia War (2000)

Both series developed in parallel (as part of the Battle Isle series, the tactical game Incubation was even released in 1997) and ended in 2000. Apparently, the RTS genre still won over TBS.

Albion (1995)



Albion (1995)

Blue Byte Software knew how to make not only strategies, but also gave us this unique role-playing video game. A fusion of science fiction and fantasy, first- and third-person views, a lot of dialogue, nice graphics, attention to detail and sophistication, team management - Albion draws you into its world.

Microsoft Flight Simulator Series



Microsoft Flight Simulator Series

One of the most famous flight simulators dates back to 1982, the last, tenth part was released in 2006. Perhaps the next part will be released in 2011. The distinctive features of this series are beautiful graphics and realism in everything. The physics of flight, the complexity of controls, real landscapes and airports, the influence of weather - this is not even a toy, but a simulator for novice pilots.

Flight Simulator 1.0 (1982)

Flight Simulator 2.0 (1984)

Flight Simulator 3.0 (1988)

Flight Simulator 4.0 (1989)

Microsoft Flight Simulator: Aircraft & Scenery Designer (1990)

Flight Simulator 5.0 (1993)

Flight Simulator 5.1 (1994)

Flight Simulator 95 (1995)

Flight Simulator 98 (1997)

Flight Simulator 2000 (1999)

Flight Simulator 2002 (2001)

Flight Simulator 2004 (2003)

Flight Simulator X (2006)

Flight Simulator X: Acceleration Expansion Pack (2007)

Microsoft Flight (2012)

Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

X-COM series (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001)



X-COM series (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001)

The first two games in the series (UFO: Enemy Unknown and X-COM: Terror from the Deep) were truly something special. Firstly, a combination of strategy and role-playing - we were given the opportunity to play both on a global scale and to fight in a specific point - in fact, two video games for the console in one. Secondly, the turn-based battle mode - it was no longer the reaction that worked, but the mind, so it really was a tactical game. In this genre, where you had to manage a group of units, Syndicate, Jagged Alliance and even Cannon Fodder were popular at the same time, but turn-based mode was only in Jagged Alliance, so it was a new product, and quite successful (which was later proven again Fallout). Thirdly, it was, of course, a breathtaking atmosphere - the war with aliens in a rather gloomy environment was captivating.

After the first two parts, something strange began to happen to the series: in X-COM: Apocalypse they decided to make battles in real time (however, you could switch to turn-based mode) and most importantly, that very atmosphere disappeared. X-COM: Interceptor made a space simulator, X-COM: Enforcer made a shooter, and this almost became the end of the series. In 2011 they promise a new product called XCOM - again a shooter, so fans don’t have to worry.

It’s good that in parallel with this, an unofficial game series developed. In 2000, when they decided to revive the first part in 3D, but could not find a publisher, after many perturbations with rights, Altar Interactive became the developer, thanks to which we received the UFO series in the 2000s.

UFO: Enemy Unknown (1994)

X-COM: Terror from the Deep (1995)

X-COM: Apocalypse (1997)

X-COM: Interceptor (1998)

X-COM: Enforcer (2001)

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (2013)

XCOM 2 (2016)

XCOM: Chimera Squad (2020)

Quake (1996), Quake II (1997) and Quake III (1999)



Quake (1996), Quake II (1997) and Quake III (1999)

If anyone can rival Doom in fame, it's Quake, perhaps even surpassing its great ancestor in the race for the title of the most famous computer video game in the world. Quake was a revolution - it became the first 3D shooter, and its name is forever inscribed in gaming history. It just so happened that id Software became the pioneer of a new genre in the 90s and a trendsetter in it. Of course, there was Half-Life, and Duke Nukem 3D, and Unreal, but Doom and Quake were the first.

In the 2000s, the glory of id Software faded, many different and interesting high-level shooters were released from different companies, and public interest shifted to shooters with a “closer to reality”, which concerned both the plot and the game itself.

Quake was much darker than Doom, but the “satanic” background was still there, it became less with the departure of John Romero from id, which, of course, reduced the charm of the company’s products. Since the first Quake, shooters have become truly three-dimensional: 3D objects and monsters, now we could look up/down not with the keyboard, but with the mouse! Deliberate darkness and horror shooters also originate from the first Quake. Let's not forget about the excellent Nine Inch Nails soundtrack.

The second part was weaker, but the third was excellent again, id Software again set a new trend by making an online shooter: fans of fast and meaty online battles are still playing Quake III, and 12 years have already passed! Quake 4 was released in 2005, but it did not gain popularity, including because it was very similar to Doom 3.

By the way, under the leadership of John Romero, who left id, a Quake-like long-term shooter Daikatana was made, but the development did not keep up with the progress of engines, and in 2000 the video game was a commercial failure - the graphics at that time looked very outdated.

Neverhood (1996)



Neverhood (1996)

An original “plasticine” quest that stands apart from the vast majority of hand-drawn “cartoon” quests of that time. Imagine, all the scenes here were actually sculpted from plasticine and filmed frame by frame. The quest is kind and funny, you get the impression that you are watching a long cartoon.

Diablo (1996)



Diablo (1996)

This action RPG was, if not revolutionary, then at least turned the entire role-playing genre in a different direction. Less talking, more action - focusing on fighting monsters, leveling up the character and his equipment. We had something similar in Ultima VIII, the guys from Blizzard came up with the idea to take the action-oriented role-playing series of that time, remove long dialogues, remove the team - make it one player, and do it all in an isometric perspective.

Incentives to “dress up” your character with magical things, collect gold, choose characteristics for leveling up, play online (PvM and PvP), and of course defeat the world’s Evil in the person of no less than the Devil himself - all this did its job, and gave birth to a new gaming world. In 1997, a sequel to Diablo: Hellfire was released, but it was not made by Blizzard and it turned out to be less interesting. About the second Diablo will be at the very end of the review.

Duke Nukem 3D (1996)



Duke Nukem 3D (1996)

Duke diluted Doom's lead and came out shortly behind Quake, so he had time to interest the audience. First of all, male, since now one could imagine oneself in the skin of a pumped-up superhero, from whom bullets bounced, and he entered the life of the male population of that time quickly and forever.

The incredibly cool guy in combat boots, with rude humor and a brick haircut was so popular that even in the line of the hit of the group “Spleen” there is a phrase from the game: “And Duke Nukem must die.” Remember how Duke delighted us with his RPG shots, trips to the strip bar, flying on a jetpack and even vocals! :)

In the 90s, 3D Realms also pleased us with other good things: Rise of the Triad (1995), Terminal Velocity (1995) and Shadow Warrior (1997). The latter was a Japanese-style Duke clone: ​​we hacked enemies with a katana and threw stars, shot with an UZI and even drove a tank! However, after them nothing came of it: in vain we waited in every issue of “Toy Store” (and then Game.EXE) and “Land of Games” for news about the release date of Prey and Duke Nukem Forever. As a result, these toys became the largest long-term construction project in gaming history. Prey was released in 2006, but did not gain popularity.

Well, we stopped waiting a long time ago, because 15 (!) years have passed since the release of the first part, but suddenly the company 3D Realms announced the exact release date of Duke Nukem Forever. It seemed like a repeated joke, but the trailer that quickly spread across the Internet was spectacular, with real gameplay and similar to good old Duke, so look forward to this May!

A fun “village” shooter Redneck Rampage (1997) was made on the Duke Nukem 3D engine, where you could drink whiskey to replenish your health, and the task was to find your favorite pig, which was stolen from the main character by aliens :)

Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat (1995) and Warhammer: Dark Omen (1998)



Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat (1995) and Warhammer: Dark Omen (1998)

During the second Warcraft, another fantasy real-time strategy was released. There was no “base” construction or unit production here at all, all the attention was on battles, you controlled an army consisting of several units. At that time, the graphics were surprising: the camera could be rotated and zoomed in/out. Great elaboration of the game in general and thoughtfulness of battles and magic in particular, detailed characteristics of units, detailed battles, use of the landscape, excellent voice acting during battle, some role-playing elements in the form of artifacts and gaining experience by units - this is probably what a medieval (more precisely fantasy) game should look like. wargame, the only thing missing was castle sieges.

In 2006, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos was released, and in 2008 - Warhammer Online - an MMORPG in the world of Warhammer.

Z (1996)



Z (1996)

Remember this original strategy? It was different from all the others, where it was necessary to extract resources and build units on them. Here the map was divided into zones, each had a flag, and in order to capture the zone, a unit had to reach this flag, and only then produce troops at the factory that stood in this zone. The more such zones a player owned, the more factories there were and the faster they made equipment.

The video game was also remembered for its humor: it was not people who fought, but humanoid robots, sort of tough guys in sunglasses and cigars in their teeth, something similar to the style of the Terrans in Starcraft. If the units had nothing to do, they could easily drink beer (in fact, it was a lubricating fluid) or smoke :) Here it was possible to blow up a lot of things (including bridges, mountains), and the debris would fly up to the top of the screen :)

A sequel was released in 2001 - Z: Steel Soldiers.

Worms (1995), Worms 2 (1997) and Worms Armageddon (1999)



Worms (1995), Worms 2 (1997) and Worms Armageddon (1999)

In the 90s, if several people gathered around one computer, they would play this game. If Heroes needed to be played for a long time, and Mortal Kombat needed joysticks, then Worms could be played with four players.

Worms fighting each other with all modern and non-modern weapons - you had to manage to come up with this :) Funny voice acting in different voices and in different languages. Unusual weapons: the famous banana bombs, which were often used to destroy half-levels; the “holy” grenade, which solemnly sang “Hallelujah” before the explosion; kamikaze - the worm sacrificed his life and could take his enemy with him; don’t forget about the classic bazooka shot at point blank range; homing pigeon; sheep bombs - a little sheep is running, then boom! :) Wait, I somehow fell into childhood and got carried away - in general, you’ll get tired of listing them :)

The apotheosis of the series’ development is, of course, Worms Armageddon, an extended version of which (Worms: Reloaded) was released in 2010. Several 3D sequels were released in the 2000s, but 3D worms didn't really catch on, and the developers returned to the classic 2D version.

Lords of the Realm (1994), Lords of the Realm II (1996) and Lords of Magic (1997)



Lords of the Realm (1994), Lords of the Realm II (1996) and Lords of Magic (1997)

A rare opportunity to plunge into the world of the real Middle Ages, since most games similar to medieval ones are still dedicated to a fictional fantasy world. Lords of the Realm is perhaps the only strategy of the 90s in which the economic and combat aspects were done equally well and completely, without placing emphasis, so the player was free to do more of what he liked. You could say that Settlers was crossed with Warcraft. Lords of Magic was like if Heroes of Might and Magic had made real-time combat. Lords of the Realm III was released in 2004.

Tomb Raider series



Tomb Raider series

Now with the name Lara Croft, most will remember the film with Angelina Jolie, but in the 90s it was the brightest representation of action games and the ancestor of the third-person view in this genre. The series started in 1996 and continues to this day. There were more than enough male heroes, but there were no women yet, so a “cool” girl with a scythe and two pistols and her mystical journeys through ancient mysterious places - a kind of Indiana Jones in a skirt (that is, in shorts) - was a great idea !

There have not been many successful films based on games for the console, Tomb Raider is one of the most successful examples, Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, Prince of Persia and the less famous Doom also come to mind.

Until 2000, 5 parts were published (one per year), in the 2000s five more, and one is currently in development. The game series has sold a total of 35 million copies, so there is more to come.

Tomb Raider (1996)

Tomb Raider: The Dagger of Xian (1997)

Tomb Raider 3: Adventures Of Lara Croft (1998)

Tomb Raider 4: The Last Revelation (1999)

Tomb Raider: Chronicles (2000)

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003)

Tomb Raider: Legend (2006)

Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007)

Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)

The Tomb Raider Trilogy (2011)

Tomb Raider (2013)

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (2014)

Lara Croft: Relic Run (2015)

Lara Croft GO (2015)

Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (2015)

Broken Sword (1996) and Broken Sword II (1997)



Broken Sword (1996) and Broken Sword II (1997)

Excellent hand-drawn quests, which are still one of the best in their genre. The adventures of the American tourist George and the French girl Niko (we alternately play as one or the other), their attempts to unravel the mystical mysteries of antiquity, moving between cities and countries in the process - all this is very exciting and sometimes looks like one big long movie. Pleasant animation and thoughtfulness of the video game - perfectionism is felt - allow us to give it the highest rating.

In the 2000s, there were the third (2003) and fourth (2006) parts, but they decided to make them three-dimensional, which greatly worsened the perception.

By the way, the cartoon “The Illusionist” was recently released, the animation of which reminded me of this quest, and when I went to the Revolution Software website, I discovered that in the middle of last year a director’s extended version of the first part was released (including for the iPhone), and a similar one was announced version for the second part, so I recommend it to all fans of the series.

Jagged Alliance (1994) and Jagged Alliance 2 (1999)



Jagged Alliance (1994) and Jagged Alliance 2 (1999)

One of the most prominent representatives of the tactical role-playing game genre. Managing a squad of military mercenaries, unlike Syndicate and X-COM, is not in a fantasy world, but in the “real” world - each member of the squad was not faceless, but had his own charisma (everyone remembers Ivan). The turn-based mode allowed not only to shoot, but also to think. In the second part, the graphics were improved, automatic weapons were added, you could climb onto roofs and shoot from three body positions.

Well, all fans of the series have been waiting for sequels for a long time, and if you believe the promises of the developers, two will appear in 2011 - a remake of the second part and Jagged Alliance Online.

Blade Runner (1997)



Blade Runner (1997)

There weren't many toys for cyberpunk fans: System Shock, Deus Ex, BioForge, Cyberia, Syndicate, Fallout - 6 famous video games. And then there’s Blade Runner - neither more nor less, but the slogan “the first three-dimensional quest in real time,” and the famous Westwood studio as a developer. Well, 1 million copies sold indicates its considerable popularity.

The game was made based on the cult film with the same name and in many ways it managed to repeat the same atmosphere (special thanks for the soundtrack, it’s a pity that there were no rights to the original, Vangelis). Indeed, when a video game is interspersed with video inserts and dialogues, you feel like the main character of the film. But it was an interactive film, with a non-linear plot (12 possible endings), with investigation, collection of evidence and shootouts.

Beasts and Bumpkins (1997)



Beasts and Bumpkins (1997)

Maybe this thing cannot be called one of the best, but taking advantage of the official position of the author of the article, I decided to mention it because it was funny :) Now the toy would probably be popular, since it is very reminiscent of the big “Fun Farm”. The fields are sown, the chickens lay eggs, the bread is baked, the forge is at work - reminiscent of Settlers, but what made Beasts and Bumpkins unusual was its humor. Funny graphics and voice acting - chickens cluck during the day, peasants burp after eating, and at night you can hear snoring and sounds of love (they are especially funny in the German version). Well, from time to time it was necessary to repel the attacks of giant bees and bears :)

Fallout (1997) and Fallout 2 (1998)



Fallout (1997) and Fallout 2 (1998)

Cult post-nuclear role-playing game. She gave us a plausible version of the world after nuclear war. A unique system of character characteristics and skills, a turn-based battle mode, cities living their own lives, different options for passing - you can list for a long time what was interesting there. All this added up to the “atmosphere” that subsequent series later tried to embody: Fallout Tactics (2001), Fallout 3 (2008) and Fallout: New Vegas (2010). But only the first two parts were made by the famous Black Isle Studios, and, in my opinion, they still remain unsurpassed.

I was always amazed how the developers managed to make the second part in just a year, which was larger than the first, even taking into account the fact that the engine remained the same. The world of Fallout 2 was larger, and the time limit was removed, so you could stay in that world until you got bored. All that remains is to forget the passage of the video game, and go through it again, or maybe a couple of times - with a “good” or “bad” character - for example, one of my friends amused himself by “carrying out” the inhabitants of all cities with electric fists.

Age of Empires (1997) and Age of Empires II (1999)



Age of Empires (1997) and Age of Empires II (1999)

In the RTS genre, it was increasingly difficult to come up with something new in the plot: the fantasy world was occupied by Warcraft, the “real” world - Red Alert, the world of the future - C&C, KKnD, Z. But there was still the past - the theme of the Middle Ages was still free, and Ensemble Studios (and Microsoft as publisher) was the first. Something like Civilization, but in real time - it was a dream.

Excellent graphics, voice acting, large-scale battles, atmospheric videos are the distinctive features of the successful Age of Empires series (more than 20 million copies sold). The third part was released in 2005, and in 2009, unfortunately, Microsoft disbanded the Ensemble team, so the fourth part is in doubt.

MDK (1997) and MDK2 (2000)



MDK (1997) and MDK2 (2000)

A third-person shooter that could seriously compete with its first-person counterparts. A very dynamic game (special thanks for the soundtrack), it will definitely relax you after a busy day, a fun, arcade game in many ways, flavored with a fair amount of humor, the main character in a nanosuit, excellent graphics, surreal levels.

In the second part, the fun continued, and we were given the opportunity to play for all three characters included in the title (Max, Doctor, Kurt - however, another decoding - Murder Death Kill - is perhaps more suitable), and playing for the dog Max we could shoot from four weapons at the same time! :)

Half-Life (1998)



Half-Life (1998)

The video game that took the shooter genre to a new level. Half-Life was one of the first in many ways: here the plot was not secondary, as in most shooters, and developed right on the spot when using the engine. The opponents were smart, the player had allies. Half-Life received many sequels, including online ones, the most striking of which was Counter-Strike (1999), this mod became an independent video game, almost eclipsing the glory of Half-Life itself, but still these are non-overlapping things: if HL is strong with its single-player mode, CS is exclusively online. Half-Life is one of the best-selling games with 9 million copies sold.

GEG (1997) and GEG+ (1998)



GEG (1997) and GEG+ (1998)

A humorous quest is not such a common occurrence.

“Gag” (from the English gag - joke, comic episode) is a comedic technique based on obvious absurdity. For example, when during a fire a person carries water with a sieve, this is absurd, but it can make you laugh. When, instead of cutting pancakes with a knife, they use scissors - this is absurd, but it also makes you laugh. One of the most famous gag groups in the post-Soviet space in the late 90s was “Mask Show”.

Yes, GEG really was the epitome of absurdity. A secret agent, a dream come true, bitten by a penguin and spits at the ceiling all day. GEG is fun and entertainment, with parodies and banter of famous films and video games, with “strawberries” and mini-games (remember catching flies with a fork and sextris?). In general, until you look at everything and try everything, you won’t calm down.

In 2002, GEG 2 was released, but it was a completely different toy; it was not possible to replicate the atmosphere. In the 90s, two successful series of quests also started - “Petka and Vasily Ivanovich” and “Pilot Brothers”.

Dungeon Keeper (1997) and Dungeon Keeper 2 (1999)



Dungeon Keeper (1997) and Dungeon Keeper 2 (1999)

“Evil is good” was the slogan of DK (and the second part was “It’s good to be bad”), there weren’t many such video games where you could play as a “bad guy”. In addition, there were many original ideas here (as in all Bullfrog products): units could be grabbed and thrown to another place, punished and rewarded (spanked, fed, given gold, thrown into prison or a torture chamber), as well as move into them, and look from the first person, so it turns out something like a shooter; we built unusual rooms (for example, instead of the usual “farms” we built a chicken coop, where monsters ate chickens), we could set traps.

Unfortunately, the third part did not follow, but in the 2000s two followers appeared: Evil Genius and Dungeons, and the license to create an MMORPG based on the series was purchased, so Dungeon Keeper Online may well be released.

Carmageddon (1997), Carmageddon II (1998) and Carmageddon TDR2000 (2000)



Carmageddon (1997), Carmageddon II (1998) and Carmageddon TDR2000 (2000)

Need for Speed ​​was the obvious leader, so to stand out among the driving simulators, it was necessary to come up with something new. And Carmageddon was new - it was a race to the bottom without much censorship and with a clear emphasis on violence (that's why we loved it!) - we destroyed opponents and ran over pedestrians (remember the cows?).

Magic & Mayhem (1998)



Magic & Mayhem (1998)

An interesting fantasy game that was included in this review for its originality - it is both a role-playing game and a strategy game. We play as a novice wizard and his charges, learn spells (combat + summoning creatures), and go through level after level according to the plot. In 2001, the second part was released.

Creatures (1996), Creatures 2 (1998) and Creatures 3 (1999)



Creatures (1996), Creatures 2 (1998) and Creatures 3 (1999)

This is a complex version of Tamagotchi, the game is based on a serious artificial intelligence system. A life simulator that simulates the development of living beings, their learning and self-learning. Cute, eye-catching norns, looking like kind gremlins or Cheburashkas, inhabited the virtual world, and they were practically your children. They were born, you played with them, fed them, punished them, taught them, they grew up and created families. Perhaps all future parents, and established ones too, should play Creatures.

Grim Fandango (1998)



Grim Fandango (1998)

One of the first three-dimensional quests and a very original one is a journey through the afterlife, where all the characters have something like Aztec masks instead of faces. In addition, the control in the video game was exclusively using the keyboard, and instead of the usual tooltips on things, when hovering the cursor, the main character simply turned his head towards significant objects.

Despite the fact that the toy acquired cult status, it was still too original for the masses - there was no commercial success, and this was one of the reasons why LucasArts stopped making quests.

Starcraft (1998)



Starcraft (1998)

Blizzard made Warcraft and Warcraft II as an alternative to the technostrategies of the time and achieved success. After leading the way in fantasy strategies, now there was nothing stopping them from trying to make their own high-tech strategy. And Starcraft was destined to become the most famous strategy game in the world. In the list of best-selling games for the console, with its 11 million copies sold, it is second only to The Sims series.

To assess the popularity of Starcraft, we can remember only one fact: it was played for 12 years, until 2010, until Starcraft II was released, which replaced the first part as the leader. Objectively speaking, Blizzard, with its three worlds - Warcraft, Diablo and Starcraft - excels in the strategy and RPG genres. One of the few legendary companies of the 90s, which not only did not lose its fame, but also increased it. So their perfectionism and lack of deadlines when developing video games (their famous phrase “when it’s done” - that is, the toy will come out when it’s ready) became the key to success.

There were plenty of innovations in Starcraft: for example, an indicative nuance - round, rather than the usual square frames when choosing buildings or units, or a new type of structure for strategies - the Terran bunker - a defensive building from which fighters fired. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that Starcraft's palette is limited to 256 colors - looking at the gameplay (like the explosions) it's hard to believe, and it once again proved that graphics aren't paramount. The developers managed to come up with three completely different races and at the same time maintain a balance of power (although I think that the Zerg in the first Starcraft are still overpowered :))

The sequel to StarCraft: Brood War was released in the same year, 1998. Starcraft actually gave birth to a new genre, DotA, and there is no need to talk about how they played and continue to play Starcraft in the vastness of Battle.net.

Interstate '76 (1997) and Interstate '82 (1999)



Interstate '76 (1997) and Interstate '82 (1999)

Crossing a car simulator with a shooter and doing it in a retro style turned out to be a great idea. From car simulators - a large selection of cars and the ability to upgrade, from shooters - a large selection of weapons, and most importantly - a stylish atmosphere: fashionable retro cars, cinematic inserts (it’s a pity the hero models seemed “wooden”), plot, voice acting, a specially written soundtrack, criminals -romances, highways...

Delta Force Series



Delta Force Series

Three parts were released in the 90s (the first in 1998), and several more parts of this tactical shooter were released in the 2000s. Its popularity showed that the trend of gamers' interest is shifting from shooters in a fantasy world to shooters close to reality.

Delta Force (1998)

Delta Force 2 (1999)

Delta Force: Land Warrior (2000)

Delta Force: Urban Warfare (2002)

Delta Force: Task Force Dagger (2002)

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down (2003)

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down - Team Saber (2004)

Delta Force: Xtreme (2005)

Delta Force: Xtreme 2 (2009)

Here they make it clear that previously familiar FPS are as unrealistic as blockbuster action films, but in the harsh life of special forces everything is different. So we started to get used to being careful, watching through a telescopic sight, moving at a crawl, not shooting unnecessarily, looking back, and generally getting used to the role of special forces in various parts of the world, and it was great to have sniper fights online.

Commandos (1998)



Commandos (1998)

World War II times, we manage an entire special forces unit, each member of the squad has their own specialization (paratrooper, sniper, marine, sapper, spy and driver) and nationality. The result is a tactical stealth strategy. Before this, there was something similar in Jagged Alliance, where each member of the squad was also an individual, but here everything is in real time and without a role-playing component, but with a focus on action. We study patrol routes, silently kill fascists, blow up buildings, control various vehicles - in general, we do everything that special forces are supposed to do. Missions around the world - from Norway to Africa, some of them were based on war films.

The game spawned a whole successful series - three more parts were released in the 2000s.

Unreal (1998) and Unreal Tournament (1999)



Unreal (1998) and Unreal Tournament (1999)

Unreal was made for a long time and carefully, so it competed not with the first (which it should have), but with the second Quake. The video games are similar, however, the more famous competitor did not supplant Unreal - players appreciated the gloomy (sometimes nothing was visible at all) alien world, and Unreal’s engine was more advanced. If Quake was demonic, then Unreal is more cosmic.

Unreal Tournament was released simultaneously with Quake III, so players played both. Each had its own “tricks”, first of all, this concerns the variety of weapons. Unreal II was released in 2003, but few people remember about it, but the Unreal Tournament series continues to develop, apparently, we should wait for the next part.

From those times, I remember another shooter - Turok, remembered for its beautiful graphics and the original idea of ​​​​hunting dinosaurs (the Turok series is successful and is still alive).

Thief (1998) and Thief II (2000)



Thief (1998) and Thief II (2000)

It just so happens that the shooter is one of the most popular genres, and the competition there is still fierce. To successfully compete with others, you need to come up with new ideas. It was still easier in the 90s: not all ideas were implemented, but now shooter developers are having a hard time.

Thief became the founders of a new genre - stealth shooters. Usually we fired with all our might from machine guns and rocket launchers, then we got pleasure from sneaking silently, quietly knocking out guards, extinguishing torches with water arrows, peeking around corners and stealing especially valuable things. Atmospheric cutscenes added to the charm of the game, and we already imagined ourselves as a real member of the guild of elite thieves.

Battlezone (1998) and Battlezone II (1999)



Battlezone (1998) and Battlezone II (1999)

The first and only(?) hybrid of strategy and shooter (and even a simulator to boot) is “first-person RTS”. You build a base and manage units, as in conventional strategies, but at the same time you can control any type of military equipment. You can leave a unit and wander around on foot (like in GTA), climb into another one, your own or an enemy one, for example, knocking out a pilot with a sniper rifle. Or you can climb into a bunker and view the battlefield from a satellite - just like in a regular strategy. It was especially great to play online.

Grand Theft Auto (1997) and Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999)



Grand Theft Auto (1997) and Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999)

The foundations of the cult crime toy of the 2000s were laid back in the 90s (and the roots of Mafia also grow from GTA). Changing perspective, GTA became a real hit (by the way, the same can be said about Postal).

The genre is difficult to define; rather, it is a mixture of genres: it is a shooter, a car simulator, and a quest. Even in the first parts, GTA gave us freedom of action: yes, we had missions and assignments, but we ourselves chose the path to carry them out, and no one stopped us from living our lives in the city - driving cars, looking for secrets or killing civilians - this is was the player's choice.

Baldur's Gate (1998) and Baldur's Gate II (2000)



Baldur's Gate (1998) and Baldur's Gate II (2000)

The large and detailed world of Baldur's Gate has become the embodiment of classic role-playing games in an isometric form. The plot ideas are also classic - we play as an aspiring wizard and fight with a villain for the throne.

The video game was the first of its kind, and subsequent similar products were made with BG in mind. If you can compare it with previously released third-person role-playing games, then perhaps only with Fallout or Ultima VIII. Unlike Diablo, there is no limited world and focus on action, but everything follows the classic laws of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

We played not only for the main character, but for a whole team that joined your company and helped you. A revolutionary innovation - the combination of turn-based and real-time modes in battles - we still fought in real time, but we could press “pause”, think and assign new actions to the characters.

In the footsteps of Baldur’s Gate, two parts of the similar Icewind Dale followed, and in the 2000s, the famous Neverwinter Nights became the heir.

System Shock (1994), System Shock 2 (1999) and Deus Ex (2000)



System Shock (1994), System Shock 2 (1999) and Deus Ex (2000)

Fans of cyberpunk were pleased, and even more so - they combined a shooter with a role-playing game. And this is all back in 1994, when most of the famous shooters did not exist. A gloomy space atmosphere (System Shock can be considered one of the first horror shooters), a feeling of loneliness, the ability to penetrate into cyberspace, a large selection of weapons and items, puzzles, e-mails, logs, in the second part - a full-fledged role-playing system with characteristics/ skills and items that change them, inventory.

A lot of innovative ideas were not appreciated - either there were too many ideas, or the video game was ahead of its time - as a result, both parts were commercially unsuccessful, however, System Shock acquired cult status, this situation, however, is not uncommon in the world computer video games.

The successor to System Shock (as well as Thief) in 2000 was the no less cult Deus Ex: also a cyberpunk world, we influence the course of the plot with our actions, role-playing and stealth elements, dialogues, an excellent soundtrack from Straylight. The second part was released in 2003, and the third is currently in development.

In 2007 and 2010, BioShock and BioShock 2 (the third part in development) were released, in which the ideas of System Shock were revived.

Homeworld (1999)



Homeworld (1999)

Space-themed films often show impressive views of stars, planets or passing ships. It is in these moments that you feel the true atmosphere of this bottomless outer space. This is the atmosphere that Homeworld managed to embody - and besides, it was a space RTS, and not in the sense of Starcraft, but for real, that is, battles right in space, and even in 3D.

The second part was published in 2003.

Planescape: Torment (1999)



Planescape: Torment (1999)

The most role-playing of role-playing games - that’s how you can call this game. There are about 1 million words of dialogue. There are no templates here: there is almost no need to fight, there is no need to save the world from yet another villain, there is no usual equipment, there is no classic division between good and evil. All you need is to remember who you are as you travel through a dark, bizarre world. Planescape evokes philosophical thoughts about life and death—it's not just made for fun. Later, Planescape: Torment (1999) was adapted for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.

Aliens versus Predator (1999)



Aliens versus Predator (1999)

In this shooter, a long-time dream was realized: to play as characters from cult films - both Alien and Predator, as well as humans. At the same time, all the “tricks” from the films were implemented (special thanks for the sounds) - both the Predator’s thermal vision and the Alien’s running along the walls. At the same time, Aliens versus Predator is individual for different characters, so AVP is interesting to play for each of them. As the Predator is a traditional action shooter. As an Alien is a stealth shooter where you need to be invisible and sneak closer, since you can only attack from close range. As an infantryman, the toy turns into a horror shooter, you need to run all the time and carefully look around.

Counter-Strike (1999)



Counter-Strike (1999)

Originally a Half-Life mod, this game grew into its own world and almost eclipsed the original. In the same 1999, network shooters Quake III and Unreal Tournament were also released, however, unlike them, Counter-Strike was not in a fantasy world, but closer to reality: terrorists against counter-terrorists, weapon models were not invented, but taken from real ones.

People literally played CS day and night, and they still do. I remember the news about a Romanian schoolboy who was taken by ambulance straight from the Internet club - he sat there for 9 days in a row, playing CS, and reached the point of physical and moral exhaustion.

In 2004, sequels were released: Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and Counter-Strike: Source.

The Sims (2000)



The Sims (2000)

Neither more nor less, and the best-selling game for PC is 16 million copies (by the way, The Sims 2 is in second place with 13 million). The Maxis company, which created the famous SimCity in 1989, and then a whole lot of different Sims (SimFarm, SimGolf, SimPark, etc.), came up with the most exciting idea - virtual human life.

And many spent their time doing more with their virtual life than their real one - managing their families, going to work, communicating, improving their skills, even going to the toilet - in general, these were no longer just Tamagotchis, but a whole world, developed, similar to the real one , and with the release of the second and third parts of The Sims, this world has become even larger and more believable.

Hitman: Codename 47 (2000)



Hitman: Codename 47 (2000)

A modern killer - it’s strange that this hero was implemented in video games so late, even judging by the history of the film industry, this hero has always been very popular. We already had a lot of interesting characters: the Prince of Persia, the tough guy Duke Nukem, the loser Roger Wilco, the smart Doctor Freeman, the silent and sneaking Garrett, and even Lara Croft, and Agent 47 was invented only in 2000.

There weren’t many similar toys at that time - a third-person stealth shooter (however, in the sequels it was possible to play in the first person). Different ways of passing, non-linear levels, reconnaissance of the territory, dressing up, stealth - many wanted to be in the shoes of a killer (sounds scary) and Hitman became so popular that three more parts were released in the 2000s, and in 2007 a film based on it was released.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption (2000)



Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption (2000)

The theme of vampires has always been popular - a lot of books and films prove this. Sooner or later it had to be implemented in computer video games. One of its incarnations was this action-RPG with a third-person view.

Medieval Europe, control of several characters in a group, original role-playing system and of course vampire paraphernalia and atmosphere. In 2004, a sequel was released - Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.

Diablo II (2000)



Diablo II (2000)

I’ll end with my favorite video game, and it came out at the end of the decade, at the turn of two centuries and even millennia. The second part was an order of magnitude superior to the first - we were given the opportunity to choose from 7 characters and made a skill tree, which gave rise to hundreds of pages of character development strategies; now several specializations were possible within the class. A lot of “tricks” were invented: unique sets of things, runes, gems, charms, sockets, Horadric Cube, an unusual save system, mercenaries, acts in different areas.

The game has been played by fans up and down, with different characters, in hell and hardcore, with duels, “locomotives” and races against bosses, personally, I can no longer see these porcupines in the first act, when once again you start playing as a half-forgotten character :) We We've been waiting for the third part for a long time, and the moment when it comes out is getting closer.

In the same 2000, a good role-playing video game Nox from Westwood was released with beautiful graphics and also focused on action. Unfortunately, it was not appreciated, as there was little original in it - it was similar to both Diablo and Baldur's Gate - by the time Nox was released, the first Baldur's Gate was already being played, and at the same time as Nox the second part of Diablo was released, its waited and it eclipsed Nox in many respects.

Diablo and role-playing video games in general are somewhat similar to life: we also gain experience, new skills, and life gives us new “quests” and we move on to new, more difficult levels.