The early ’90s were an important time for the gaming industry.The video game crash of 1983was still fresh in the minds of many, though gaming was starting to truly flourish with mascot characters likeMarioandDonkey Kongbecoming household names.
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1992 was, believe it or not, 30 years ago now. The year was packed with numerous exciting releases, including a handful of games that started or at least popularized entire genres. The games on this list may not be easy on the eye by today’s standards, but many of them are still a blast to play and should be appreciated for their impact on their genre and the gaming industry as a whole.
10Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3Dcan make a strong argument for being the most influential game on this list, which says a lot considering the games it’s up against. ID Software’s shooter helped shape the first-person shooter genre into what it is today and paved the way for the iconicDOOM(1993) with its fast-paced action and unprecedented level of violence at the time.
Wolfenstein 3Dwas the third game in theWolfensteinseries, with the first two games being major influencers inthe stealth genre.
9Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kartwas the first game in the long-runningMario Kartseries, a franchise that is now on its eighth main series entry and has become acornerstone of casual gamingdue to how much fun the games are to play with friends.
It’s hard to deny thatSuper Mario Kartis rudimentary by today’s standards, especially when compared withMario Kart 8 Deluxe, though the game deserves credit for starting a franchise that is home to many happy memories for people worldwide.
8Alone in the Dark
Alone in the Darkis the closest contender toWolfenstein 3Dwhen it comes to this list’s most influential game. Infogrames’Alone in the Darkwasthe first-ever 3D survival horror game, a genre that is now home to hugely popular franchises likeSilent Hill,Dead Space, andResident Evil.
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Alone in the Darkis another game on this list that can be rough to play today but fully deserves its spot on this list for its influence and quality at the time of its release.
7Streets of Rage 2
The early ’90s was home to some of the best beat-em-up games of all time, withThe SimpsonsandTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Timeamong the most notable releases.Streets of Rage 2lacked the branding power of those two games but successfully grabbed the attention of fighting fans through its sheer quality. Shortly after the game’s release, many people regardedStreets of Rage 2as the best beat-em-up release of all time.
For those wanting to play a modern take onStreets of Rage2, April 2020’s critically acclaimedStreets of Rage 4is worth considering.
6Final Fantasy 5
The fifth entry in the iconicFinal Fantasyseries was first released on the Super Famicom in Japan in December 1992, just under seven years before it arrived in North America on the PlayStation 1. As one would expect from theFinal Fantasyfranchise, the 1992 release stands out with itswonderful soundtrackandgripping story.
Final Fantasy 5had many influences on the RPG genre, such as its high level of customizability and in-depth job system.
5Dragon Quest 5
Another iconic RPG that received its fifth entry in 1992 isDragon Quest. The game was released on the Super Famicom in Japan in September 1992, though it wasn’t released in the west until 2009, nearly 20 years later.
Dragon Quest 5: Hand of the Heavenly Bridewas the second entry in the Zenithian trilogy and followed the protagonist for around thirty years of his life.Dragon Quest 5didn’t try to reinvent the wheel, keeping its core gameplay similar to previous entries in the franchise. However, the game did add a few innovations, such as the ability totame monstersand add them to the player’s party.
4Mortal Kombat
The first game in the legendary fighting seriesMortal Kombathit arcades in October 1992. The game was an instant hit and is still considered to be one of the greatest fighting games of all time.
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Mortal Kombatstood out in the early ’90s for its violence, particularly theFatality finishing movesthat were some of the most gruesome things seen in mainstream gaming up until that point. These Fatality moves were a significant talking point in the 1993 United States Senate hearings on video games, along with content from games likeDOOMandNight Trap.
3Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
By 1992,Mariohad firmly established himself as gaming’s number one mascot, fending off the likes ofPac-Manand fellow Nintendo platformerDonkey Kong.This was largely thanks toSuper Mario Bros. 3andSuper Mario World, which are still considered to be two of thebest side-scrolling platformers of all time.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden CoinswasMario’s first main series game sinceSuper Mario World, so it had a considerable weight of expectations on its shoulders. The game didn’t reach the astronomical heights of its predecessor, but it is still fondly remembered, particularly for introducing Wario.
2Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Another mascot platformer thatMarioneeded to fend off in the early ’90s wasSonic The Hedgehog, who Sega created with the specific intention of knocking the Italian plumber off his perch. The blue hedgehog didn’t achieve this, though Sega certainly gave it a good shot with an excellent trilogy of platformers that were released between 1991 and 1994.
1992’sSonic The Hedgehog 2kept thefast-paced actionof its predecessor but made a few additions to the franchise, such as a multiplayer mode, new character Tails, and more complex level designs.
1Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
The downfall of the point-and-click genre was so sharp and sudden that it’s easy to forget just how big the style of game was in the early ’90s. LucasArts were the genre’s most esteemed developers, thanks to games likeThe Secret of Monkey Island,Day of the Tentacle, andGrim Fandango,which were all huge hits with fans and critics for theirhilarious dialogueandmemorable stories.
Another excellent release from the genre’s golden age wasIndiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, which some people still consider to be LucasArts' best gaming release. The game is amust-play for fans of the point-and-click genreand for fans of theIndiana Jonesfranchise, thanks to the game’s epic story that sees the archeologist search for the sunken city of Atlantis.
