People who grew up during the ’90s era of gaming sawthe release of 3D gameslike never before. 3D gaming was present during the ’70s and ’80s, but the refinement witnessed in the ’90s was humbling. While the ’80s pushed the gaming industry to the brink of bankruptcy, the ’90s was home to some of the most commercially successful games. The ’90s saw the release of many hit games, but not all of them have aged as well as others.
The fact that modern 3D platformers likeYooka-Layleecan’t hold a candle to impactful titles likeSuper Mario 64andBanjo-Kazooieis a great example of why ’90s games continue to be looked back on fondly by gamers who have a ton of love for the golden era of gaming. There are quintessential examples ofgreat ’90s video gamesspread across various genres that are all pretty legendary in their own right and are still infinitely playable to this day.
Updated Jul 15, 2025, by Hamza Haq:The 1990-2000 period was the golden era of gaming, not because games were necessarily better then, but because developers were more willing to experiment with new ideas for every single game they put out. It was a time when the formula for what the end gamer wants was not actually figured out to any extent, and ironically, that was what made gaming as a hobby exciting and new. A prevalence of new ideas meant that almost every new game that came out brought something new to the table, something gamers hadn’t experienced before, which is in stark contrast to what modern gaming has become: a risk-averse landscape of rehashed ideas with very little innovation outside the indie sphere.
Doom 2: Hell on Earthis a sequel to one of the greatest first-person shooters ever made. id Software clearly stumbled upon a gold mine that they’d capitalize on with the release of the second game by making things bigger, better, and more engaging than ever before.
Fans familiar withDoomwill find the second game to be more of the same, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Both titles went on to define gaming in the ’90s, introducing players to the realm of first-person shooters and the violent goodness that came with it.
Donkey Kong Countrycounts itself among themost successful game in the Donkey Kong franchise, with similar standing as Tropical Freeze. It is a 3D side-scroller following the misadventures of Donkey Kong and his nephew, Diddy Kong, as they traverse through a jungle infested by all manners of reptilians out to get the Kong family gorillas.
The art style is iconic, the gameplay loop is addictive, and the level design is brilliant and filled with secrets to discover. Despite its age,Donkey Kong Countrystill holds up today, with its many levels still promising enough complexity and depth to encourage fans to dive into the classic one more time.
Mortal Kombat1992 is a fighting video game similar toStreet FighterandTekkenthat spawned an era-spanning franchise that is still going strong today. The core gameplay is very typical of a fighting game, with two players picking characters to go head to head in a 2D battle format where reaction time and combos rule supreme.
WhereMortal Kombatsets itself apart is its brutally visceral approach to combat that nearly all other games shy away from, fighting or otherwise. The ability to pull the literal guts out of a defeated fighter is a uniquelyMortal Kombatthing. Few developers have the stomach to add anything resembling the sheer barbarity of afatality inMortal Kombat, allowing the series to remain the only one of its kind.
Crash Bandicootis the first gamedeveloped by Naughty Dogfor a Sony-owned platform, setting up an amazing partnership that would reap dividends for the years to come. It follows the titular character Crash, a bandicoot who runs, jumps, and spins his way through levels to defeat his nemesis, Doctor Neo Cortex.
Known for its vibrant graphics, fun gameplay, and challenging difficulty,Crash Bandicootwas a hit with gamers of all ages. It spawned multiple sequels and helped to establish the platformer genre on the PlayStation, with theN. Sane Trilogybeing a great way to experience this amazing game and the other titles in the series once again.
The massively popularPokemonfranchise wouldn’t be where it is today withoutPokemon Red and Blue.ThePokemoncraze spread like wildfire, widely due to the addictive gameplay of these titles.
InPokemon Red and Blue, each version features differences like exclusive Pokemon. Whether players are delving into the Pokemon Mansion to uncover past secrets or exploring the Safari Zone for wild Pokemon,Pokemon Red and Blueare too fun not to mention.
Street Fighter 2is one of the greatest fighting games ever made, featuring a wealth of improvements to the series' formula coupled with excellent gameplay and improved presentation. It was a game that blew everyone’s minds at the time and continues to be one of the most talked-about video games to this day.
Even now, there are many people booting up this game to channel the good old days. Sure, future games in the series pushed things in a new and impressive direction, but nothing can take away from the legacy this game left behind, transforming an entire generation of gamers into fighting game aficionados who still can’t get enough of the genre.
DOOM(1993), much likeGoldenEye 007, was a pioneer of multiplayer gaming. This was thanks to the game’s groundbreaking “Deathmatch mode,” the first game to use the Deathmatch title that is still commonly used today. Multiplayer gaming wasn’t the only thing thatDOOMinfluenced. It also set a benchmark for the FPS genre in general and paved the way fornumerous “DOOMclones.”
Wolfenstein 3Dmay have invented the FPS formula thatDOOMused, but this 1993 game refined and popularized it. To this day, classicDOOMis revered by the masses and features an active modding community that helped this game stay relevant for the many decades that have passed since its original release.
This entry doesn’t refer to theSonic the Hedgehogmovie sequel, but theSonic the Hedgehog 2game sequel for Sega Genesis. This game has been ported numerous times because of its replay value. The level designs offer a near-perfect mix of challenge and enjoyability.Sonic the Hedgehog 2stood out as one of thebest ’90s video games.
Since the release ofSonic The Hedgehog 2, many fans of the franchise had hoped that Sega would release a game that returned to the classic side-scrolling formula, as the 3D games have struggled to impress. Fans got their wish in 2017 withSonic Mania, a game published by Sega but developed by a team known for their work on fan games.
Super Mario 64is recognized for its strides in 3D gaming. It succeeded in the era where 2D gaming was the standard. Integrating free-flow movements that opened up a world of possibilities, many fans considerSuper Mario 64thebest ’90s video game.
Levels are intricately detailedwith hidden secrets and unlockables, giving the game tremendous replay value. Chances are gamers missed something on their first playthrough, which encouraged them to return for another adventure.
RTS (real-time strategy) games never looked the same after the release ofStarCraft. While many other RTS classics' popularity has faded over time,StarCraftmaintains a sizable player base that has hardly diminished. Rather than have numerous races to choose from,StarCraft’s devs put polish into three: theZerg, Protoss, and Terran.
There is a wide skill gap between professional players and casuals.StarCraftputs competitiveness in an RTS game like never before. This is a game that requires both micro and macro management, and going into aStarCraftmatch without a strategy is a fatal move.
