Since I started playing videogames in the late 90s, I have always been a huge fan of the game design and visual styles of mid to late 90s games. It’s the time period in which 3D graphics with texture mapping and real time lighting became common (Quake, Descent, Wipeout) and 2D games with higher resolutions and color ranges appeared that had a much more detailed looked than the minimalist pixel art (Diablo, Fallout, Crusader). These styles of presentation really kicked off in 1995 and lasted until 2000 when the PlayStation 2 completely changed the game for consoles, and normal mapping drastically changed the look of PC graphics. But even before these new graphics styles became common, there had already been a number of hugely impactful games in 1993 and 1994 that had a great influence on how games of this period would be designed and played, and are still quite famous names to this day, so I am including them here as well.
This list is primarily a listing of all the games from 1993 to 2000 that I remember being a big deal back in the day and became well established classics, but also games that I just found personally very memorable myself, even if they were not actually very good or rather obscure. So this page really is an account of what’s being going on in the videogame world from 1993 to 2000 as remembered by me. Many of these games I have never played myself. But I have played quite a lot of them.
1993 Game Releases
| Release Date | Game Title | Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 01/10 | Ultima Underworld II | DOS |
| 02/26 | Lemmings 2 | DOS, Amiga |
| 02/28 | X-Wing | DOS |
| 06/22 | Betrayal at Krondor | DOS |
| 06/25 | Day of the Tentacle | DOS, Mac |
| 07/02 | Syndicate | DOS, Amiga |
| 09/24 | Myst | Mac |
| 09/25 | Rebel Assault | DOS, Mac, 3DO |
| 09/27 | Simon the Sorcerer | DOS, Amiga |
| 09 | Master of Orion | DOS |
| 10 | Frontier: Elite 2 | DOS, Amiga |
| 11/27 | Illusion of Gaia | SNES |
| 11 | Sam & Max Hit The Road | DOS |
| 12/03 | Duke Nukem II | DOS |
| 12/10 | Doom | DOS |
| 12/17 | Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father | DOS, Mac |
| 12 | SimCity 2000 | Mac |
1994 Game Releases
| Release Date | Game Title | Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 03/04 | Beneath a Steel Sky | DOS, Amiga |
| 03/15 | Ultima VIII | DOS |
| 03/19 | Super Metroid | SNES |
| 03/25 | The Elder Scrolls: Arena | DOS |
| 03 | UFO: Enemy Unknown | DOS, Amiga |
| 04/02 | Final Fantasy VI | SNES |
| 07 | TIE Fighter | DOS |
| 08/02 | Earthworm Jim | SNES, MD |
| 08/27 | Earthbound | SNES |
| 09/23 | System Shock | DOS |
| 09/30 | Doom II | DOS |
| 11/15 | Warcraft | DOS |
| 11/21 | Donkey Kong Country | SNES |
| 12/02 | The Need for Speed | 3DO |
| 12/03 | Ridge Racer | PS |
| 12/12 | Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger | DOS, Mac |
| 12/16 | King’s Field | PS |
| 12/21 | Marathon | Mac |
| 12/23 | Heretic | DOS |
1995 Game Releases
| Release Date | Game Title | System |
|---|---|---|
| 02/17 | Rise of the Triad | DOS |
| 02/28 | Dark Forces | DOS |
| 03/03 | Descent | DOS |
| 03/11 | Chrono Trigger | SNES |
| 03/17 | Discworld | DOS |
| 03/31 | Tekken | PS |
| 03 | Alone in the Dark 3 | DOS |
| 04/15 | Jagged Alliance | DOS |
| 05/19 | Full Throttle | DOS |
| 05 | Terminal Velocity | DOS |
| 06/30 | Air Combat | PS |
| 06/30 | Star Trek: A Final Unity | DOS |
| 06 | Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within | DOS |
| X-COM: Terror from the Deep | DOS | |
| 07/21 | King’s Field II | PS |
| 07/24 | MechWarrior 2 | DOS |
| 08/05 | Yoshi’s Island | SNES |
| 08/24 | Phantasmagoria | DOS |
| 08/30 | Crusader: No Remorse | DOS |
| 09/04 | Caesar II | DOS |
| 09/09 | Rayman | PS |
| 09/14 | Clock Tower | SNES |
| 09/26 | Command & Conquer | DOS |
| 09/29 | Wipeout | PS |
| 09 | Heroes of Might and Magic | DOS |
| 09 | Simon the Sorcerer II | DOS |
| 10/17 | Secret of Evermore | SNES |
| 10/20 | Terranigma | SNES |
| 10/30 | Hexen | DOS |
| 11/15 | Earthworm Jim 2 | SNES, MD |
| 11/17 | Worms | Amiga |
| 11/21 | Donkey Kong Country 2 | SNES |
| 11/24 | Marathon 2 | Mac |
| 11/24 | Rebel Assault II | DOS |
| 11 | The Dig | DOS |
| 12/03 | Ridge Racer Revolution | PS |
| 12/09 | Dragon Quest VI | SNES |
| 12/09 | Warcraft | DOS |
| 12/15 | Suikoden | Saturn |
| 12/16 | Albion | DOS |
1996 Game Releases
| Release Date | Game Title | Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 01/29 | Duke Nukem 3D | DOS |
| 02 | Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom | DOS |
| 02 | Civilization II | Win |
| 03/09 | Super Mario RPG | SNES |
| 03/13 | Descent II | DOS |
| 03/22 | Resident Evil | PS |
| 03/29 | Tekken 2 | PS |
| 04/17 | The Settlers II | DOS |
| 04/19 | Metal Slug | Neo Geo |
| 06/21 | King’s Field III | PS |
| 06/22 | Quake | DOS |
| 06/23 | Super Mario 64 | N64 |
| 08/09 | Harvest Moon | SNES |
| 08/24 | Z | DOS |
| 09/09 | Crash Bandicoot | PS |
| 09/12 | Crusader: No Regret | DOS |
| 09/20 | The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall | DOS |
| 09/20 | Persona | PS |
| 09/30 | Broken Sword | Win |
| 10/15 | Marathon Infinity | Mac |
| 10/18 | Wipeout 2097 | PS |
| 10/31 | Syndicate Wars | DOS |
| 10/24 | Tomb Raider | Saturn |
| 11/16 | Heroes of Might and Magic II | Win |
| 11/21 | Donkey Kong Country 3 | SNES |
| 11/22 | Command & Conquer: Red Alert | Win |
| 11/22 | Master of Orion II | Win |
| 11/29 | Discworld II | Win |
| 11 | Schleichfahrt | Win |
| 11 | The Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen | PS |
| 12/02 | Shadows of the Empire | N64 |
| 12/03 | Rage Racer | PS |
| 12/13 | Clock Tower 2 | PS |
| 12/13 | Privateer 2 | DOS |
| 12/14 | Mario Kart 64 | N64 |
| 12 | Shadows over Riva | DOS |
1997 Game Releases
| Release Date | Game Title | Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 01/03 | Diablo | Win |
| 01/31 | Final Fantasy VII | PS |
| 03/04 | Turok | N64 |
| 03/07 | Blood | DOS |
| 03/20 | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night | PS |
| 03/31 | Need for Speed II | PS |
| 04/07 | Outlaws | DOS |
| 05/13 | Shadow Warrior | DOS |
| 06/20 | Final Fantasy Tactics | PS |
| 06/26 | Dungeon Keeper | Win |
| 06/30 | Star Fox 64 | N64 |
| 06 | Ace Combat 2 | PS |
| 07/10 | Armored Core | PS |
| 07/15 | X-COM: Apocalypse | DOS |
| 08/25 | Goldeneye 007 | N64 |
| 09/03 | Imperialism | Win |
| 09/11 | Hexen II | Win |
| 09/17 | Dark Reign | Win |
| 09/19 | Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee | PS |
| 09/26 | Lego Island | Win |
| 09/29 | Lands of Lore 2 | Win |
| 09/30 | Fallout | Win |
| 09/30 | Total Annihilation | Win |
| 10/09 | Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight | Win |
| 10/14 | Broken Sword II | Win |
| 10/15 | Age of Empires | Win |
| 10/15 | G-Police | PS |
| 10/21 | Dark Earth | Win |
| 10/29 | Riven | Win |
| 10/31 | The Curse of Monkey Island | Win |
| 11/06 | Crash Bandicoot 2 | PS |
| 11/07 | Myth: The Fallen Lords | Win |
| 11/13 | Blade Runner | Win |
| 11/17 | Kirby’s Dreamland 3 | SNES |
| 11/18 | Tomb Raider II | Win, PS |
| 11/21 | Worms 2 | Win |
| 11/25 | Masters of Teräs Käsi | PS |
| 11/27 | Grand Theft Auto | Win |
| 11 | I-War | Win |
| 12/02 | The Elder Scrolls: Battlespire | DOS |
| 12/06 | Quake 2 | Win |
| 12/11 | Wing Commander: Prophecy | Win |
| 12/23 | Gran Turismo | PS |
1998 Game Releases
| Release Date | Game Title | Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 01/21 | Resident Evil 2 | PS |
| 02/26 | Tenchu: Stealth Assassins | PS |
| 02/28 | Star Wars: Rebellion | Win |
| 03/11 | Battlezone | Win |
| 03/19 | FreeSpace | Win |
| 03/25 | Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit | PS |
| 03/26 | Tekken 3 | PS |
| 03/29 | Die by the Sword | Win |
| 03/29 | Parasite Eve | PS |
| 03/31 | Anno 1602 | Win |
| 03/31 | StarCraft | Win |
| 04/02 | Metal Slug 2 | Neo Geo |
| 04/28 | Sanitarium | Win |
| 04/30 | Might and Magic VI | Win |
| 05/22 | Unreal | Win |
| 06/11 | The X-Files Game | Win |
| 06/24 | Commandos | Win |
| 06/25 | Shadow Tower | PS |
| 06/29 | Banjo-Kazooie | N64 |
| 07/15 | Colin McRae Rally | PS |
| 07/16 | Deep Fear | Saturn |
| 08/18 | Urban Assault | Win |
| 08/21 | Rainbow Six | Win |
| 08/22 | LSD: Dream Emulator | PS |
| 09/03 | Metal Gear Solid | PS |
| 09/04 | Dune 2000 | Win |
| 09/10 | Spyro the Dragon | PS |
| 09/30 | Caesar III | Win |
| 10/28 | Grim Fandango | Win |
| 10/29 | Fallout 2 | Win |
| 10/31 | Heretic II | Win |
| 11/02 | Railroad Tycoon II | Win |
| 11/05 | Sin | Win |
| 11/11 | Crash Bandicoot: Warped | PS |
| 11/16 | The Elder Scrolls: Redguard | DOS |
| 11/19 | Half-Life | Win |
| 11/20 | The Settlers III | Win |
| 11/20 | Tomb Raider III | Win, PS |
| 11/21 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | N64 |
| 11/24 | Return to Krondor | Win |
| 11/25 | Oddworld: Abe’s Exodus | PS |
| 11 | Rent-A-Hero | Win |
| 12/01 | Thief: The Dark Project | Win |
| 12/03 | R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 | PS |
| 12/03 | Rogue Squadron | Win, N64 |
| 12/10 | Turok 2 | N64 |
| 12/17 | Suikoden II | PS |
| 12/18 | Mario Party | N64 |
| 12/21 | Baldur’s Gate | Win |
| 12/28 | Myth II: Soulblighter | Win |
1999 Game Releases
| Release Date | Game Title | Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 01/21 | Super Smash Bros | N64 |
| 01/21 | Worms Armageddon | Win |
| 02/01 | SimCity 3000 | Win |
| 02/11 | Final Fantasy VIII | PS |
| 02/12 | Alpha Centauri | Win |
| 02/23 | Silent Hill | PS |
| 02/28 | X-Wing: Alliance | Win |
| 03/03 | Heroes of Might and Magic III | Win |
| 03/18 | Silver | Win |
| 03/22 | RollerCoaster Tycoon | Win |
| 03/23 | Imperialism II | Win |
| 03/24 | Need for Speed: High Stakes | PS |
| 03/25 | Garage | Win |
| 04/02 | Lands of Lore III | Win |
| 05/13 | Aliens versus Predator | Win |
| 05/18 | Star Wars: Racer | Win, N64 |
| 05/18 | Star Wars: The Phantom Menance | Win |
| 05/27 | Ace Combat 3 | PS |
| 06/01 | MechWarrior 3 | Win |
| 06/08 | Might and Magic VII | Win |
| 06/17 | Descent 3 | Win |
| 06/25 | Driver | PS |
| 06/25 | Outcast | Win |
| 06/28 | Kingpin | Win |
| 07/01 | Dino Crisis | PS |
| 07/07 | Dungeon Keeper 2 | Win |
| 07/23 | Jagged Alliance 2 | Win |
| 07/26 | Darkstone | Win |
| 08/05 | Soulcalibur | DC |
| 08/11 | System Shock 2 | Win |
| 08/16 | The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver | PS |
| 08/20 | Drakan | Win |
| 08/27 | Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun | Win |
| 08/31 | Shadow Man | Win, PS, N64 |
| 09/10 | Wipeout 3 | PS |
| 09/17 | Prince of Persia 3D | Win |
| 09/22 | Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear | Win |
| 09/22 | Resident Evil 3 | PS |
| 09/27 | Age of Empires II | Win |
| 09/28 | Homeworld | Win |
| 09/29 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater | PS |
| 09/30 | FreeSpace 2 | Win |
| 10/01 | X: Beyond the Frontier | Win |
| 10/22 | Grand Theft Auto 2 | Win, PS |
| 10/28 | Nocturne | Win |
| 10/31 | Septerra Core | Win |
| 11/02 | Pharaoh | Win |
| 11/02 | Spyro 2 | PS |
| 11/06 | Rayman 2 | Win, N64 |
| 11/09 | The Wheel of Time | Win |
| 11/10 | Medal of Honor | PS |
| 11/15 | Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine | Win |
| 11/18 | Chrono Cross | PS |
| 11/19 | Gabriel Knight 3 | Win |
| 11/19 | The Longest Journey | Win |
| 11/22 | Unreal Tournament | Win |
| 11/24 | Donkey Kong 64 | N64 |
| 12/02 | Quake III | Win |
| 12/10 | Planescape: Torment | Win |
| 12/11 | Gran Turismo 2 | PS |
| 12/16 | Koudelka | PS |
| 12/16 | Parasite Eve II | PS |
| 12/29 | Shenmue | DC |
| 12/30 | Battlezone II | PC |
2000 Game Releases
| Release Date | Game Title | Systems |
|---|---|---|
| 02/03 | Resident Evil: Code Veronica | DC |
| 02/04 | The Sims | Win |
| 02/10 | Vagrant Story | PS |
| 02/16 | Nox | Win |
| 02/24 | Fear Effect | PS |
| 02/29 | Need for Speed: Porsche | Win, PS |
| 03/02 | Might and Magic VIII | Win |
| 03/04 | Ridge Racer V | PS2 |
| 03/23 | Thief II: The Metal Age | Win |
| 03/27 | Soldier of Fortune | Win |
| 03/29 | MDK2 | DC |
| 03/29 | Messiah | Win |
| 04/27 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask | N64 |
| 04/28 | Starlancer | Win |
| 05/22 | Perfect Dark | N64 |
| 05/23 | Daikatana | Win |
| 05/31 | Ground Control | Win |
| 06/01 | Metal Slug 3 | Neo Geo |
| 06/07 | Vampire: The Masquerade: Redemption | Win |
| 06/09 | Colin McRae Rally 2 | PS |
| 06/12 | Earth 2150 | Win |
| 06/13 | Shogun: Total War | Win |
| 06/16 | Hogs of War | PS |
| 06/23 | Deus Ex | Win |
| 06/28 | Diablo II | Win |
| 06/29 | Icewind Dale | Win |
| 06/29 | Jet Set Radio | DC |
| 06/29 | Persona | PS |
| 06/30 | Dark Reign 2 | Win |
| 07/07 | Final Fantasy IX | PS |
| 07/07 | Soulbringer | Win |
| 07/20 | Kiss: Psycho Circus | Win |
| 08/01 | Heavy Metal FAKK 2 | Win |
| 08/03 | Armored Core 2 | PS2 |
| 08/08 | Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins | PS |
| 08/11 | Paper Mario | N64 |
| 08/26 | Dragon Quest VII | PS |
| 08/31 | Turok 3 | N64 |
| 09/13 | Dino Crisis 2 | PS |
| 09/15 | Star Trek: Voyager: Elite Force | Win |
| 09/18 | Crimson Skies | Win |
| 09/21 | Baldur’s Gate II | Win |
| 09/29 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 | PS |
| 10/10 | Spyro: Year of the Dragon | PS |
| 10/16 | Zeus | Win |
| 10/24 | Medal of Honor: Underground | PS |
| 10/25 | Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 | Win |
| 10/26 | Midnight Club | PS2 |
| 10/26 | Summoner | PS2 |
| 10/26 | TimeSplitters | PS2 |
| 10/27 | Rune | Win |
| 11/02 | MechWarrior 4 | Win |
| 11/09 | No One Lives Forever | Win |
| 11/09 | Counter-Strike | Win |
| 11/14 | Driver 2 | PS |
| 11/17 | Sacrifice | Win |
| 11/17 | Tomb Raider: Chronicles | PS |
| 11/19 | Hitman | Win |
| 11/20 | Banjo-Tooie | N64 |
| 12/05 | Alice | Win |
| 12/07 | Giants: Citizen Kabuto | Win |