The 90s were an incredible era for gaming. As the world woke up from 8-bit classics into better graphics and sound than ever before, gamers were spoiled with loads of fun titles on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1991 N. Am. Release date), the Sega Genesis (1989 in N. Am.), and other systems. Computer games took off and ushered in a whole new era of P.C. gaming. And in the middle of the decade, we got to experience our first polygon-filled 3D environments. By the end, CD-based games on the PlayStation were blowing minds with cutscenes that seemed to rival movies.
Below, we’ll cover the best retro games of the 90s – iconic games like Super Mario 64, Doom, Pokémon, and more. There are way more legendary games than we have time to cover, but we’ll hit some of the retro gaming community’s favorite highlights. If your beloved game is not on here, please know that we simply ran out of space. This decade has at least 50+ games that are truly worthy of discussing in any nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Super Mario 64 (N64, 1996)
When it comes to iconic 90s games, this is one of the most major. We were all blown away by Mario’s first 3D game. The goombas and brick blocks were still there, but now we could run all over the place and explore lush worlds that truly felt immersive. Mario had so many jumps! The double, the triple, the side somersault, the long jump… we were bouncing off the walls – literally!
We flew through the skies with the wing cap. We grabbed Bowser by the tail and launched him into mines. We even found a way to get on top of the castle to meet our ol’ pal, Yoshi.
The levels are still burned into our memories (why is that penguin such a bad mother?), the music of the water level, Dire Dire Docks, is still relaxing, and the speedrun community is STILL reaching new milestones even now.
This game was a revelation.
Shout out: Super Mario World (SNES, 1990). How far we have come in this decade!
Recommended Casino Game: Italian Roulette – a live game with a human dealer that will have you saying, “Mamma Mia!”
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998)
Of our classic video games on this list, Ocarina has such a special place in our hearts. This game had so much personality and offered such a living world. The places are memorable, the dungeons legitimately hard (eff u, Water Temple), and Navi’s exclamation “Hey! Listen!” is still seared into our minds.
You know you can hear it.
Whether you were chasing poes through the night, mending the Biggoron’s sword, or simply passing a lazy afternoon at Lon Lon Ranch with Malon singing while Epona chomped on grass nearby, Ocarina was an experience to last a lifetime.
Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to roll over and over again to cross Hyrule Field. Hyeeet!
Recommended Casino Game: Fairy Forest, from Platipus, is a slot game that just might conjure up a little tiny bit of the feeling of the world of Zelda.
Doom (P.C., 1993)
This game is just crazy. There’s so much over-the-top violence. Use your fists or the chainsaw for super brutal kills. Grab the shotgun and clear out rooms. Find the BFG and nuke the crowd in glorious fashion.
This PC must-have on our list of retro gaming classics had you running through Hellish levels and taking on any monstrosities that came your way. Slap around the imps, blast the cacodemons, and recoil at the horror that is the spider mastermind.
The music was the cherry on top. Forever we shall rip and tear, for it is never done.
Shout out: Half-Life (1998). This game deserves its own article completely, but this will have to suffice.
Recommended Casino Game: Sorcerer and Demon, an infernal slot game complete with flaming skulls.
Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation, 1997)
This is another one of the kings of iconic 90s games. Cloud and his ridiculously large buster sword. Emerald Weapon and it’s ludicrous amount of HP. The minigames of Gold Saucer. And a story that few kids could ever hope to follow (wait, we’re Zack? Or is that a fake memory? Oh boy…)
This game featured incredibly impressive cutscenes, epic battles, the classic JRPG grind, and a whole new approach to dungeons and environments (so detailed and dimensional). But there’s something super cool that you may not know about – a recent development from the foremost FF7 glitch hunters. You CAN bring Aeris back. NO, FOR REAL. Almost 30 years later, it can truly be done. Behold.
Pokémon Red and Blue (Game Boy, 1996)
There’s no denying this is one of the most classic video games of all time. Pick your starter, leave Pallet Town, and battle your way through the gyms of the world. Build your team and catch ‘em all (even Mewtwo).
You’re gunna be the very best, like no one ever waaaaas…
Recommended Casino Game: A shout out to another legendary anime from this time: the Dragon Ball slot!
Street Fighter II Turbo (Arcade and SNES, 1994)
No discussion of retro gaming classics is complete without a ha-dou-ken! This fighting game taught us the fun of button mashing but also challenged us to refine our skills. With some practice, you could learn to bust out special moves and absolutely wreck the other kids at your local arcade. Or, you could just use Blanka and cheese everyone with electricity. And who could forget those backgrounds! It always felt like the fight was a real underground match.
Recommended Casino Game: Arena Fighter.
Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis, 1991)
Sonic had us zipping over landscapes, bopping on monsters, and launching into the skies. It also taught us an important lesson: so long as you can snag a single golden ring, you’re still in the fight. Eggma-er, Dr. Robotnik will never win.
Recommended Casino Game: Fast Blast. Gotta go fast!
Mortal Kombat (Genesis, 1992)
It was all about the blood code and the fatalities. The combat was fun, but there was nothing like tearing someone’s head off at the end of a match. Parents were horrified, and the world was in a panic about what this game would do to the kids. Now, decades later, we’re still shooting imaginary hooks out and shouting “Get over here!” like Scorpion.
Recommended Casino Game: Muay Thai Fighter will bring up some memories.
Chrono Trigger / Secret of Mana / EarthBound (SNES, 1995 / 1993 / 1995)
And throw in Final Fantasy 2 (U.S. numbering), as well. These are the Holy Quadrinity of SNES early RPGs. They had us hooked forever with immersive stories, incredible graphics (for the time), and soundtracks still echoing through eternity. How many hours were spent in these worlds, and why don’t we regret a single minute spent there?
The battle never stops.
Recommended Casino Game: Dark Magic War.
GoldenEye 007 (N64, 1997)
Maybe the most addictive game of the whole era. Groups of players relentlessly gunned each other down for hours and hours, late into so many sleepover nights. This game laid the groundwork for our modern obsession with shooters and was such a blast to play. From the scattershot klobb to the classic PP7, the only rule we could agree on was that no one could pick Odd Job.
Recommended Casino Game: Agent Ace.
Games for Future Articles
We only have so much space, so we are saving these retro gaming classics for another time. They will rest here, in a place of honor. Diablo, Metal Gear Solid, Super Mario Kart, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Age of Empires 2 (still “Wo-lo-lo”-ing after all these years), Resident Evil, Planescape: Torment, Tomb Raider, NBA Jam, and StarCraft.
Impact of 90s Gaming
The 90s gave us so many things for our “electronic inheritance.” In this era, stories truly took shape as games broadened the horizons of what narratives are possible in a game. By the end, we were truly invested in these worlds and characters, as if they were friends of ours.
Shooters became intense battles that could last into the night. StarCraft competitive games evolved into an actual league (with wars still raging today between top competitors), heralding the rise of e-sports. And environments grew into true worlds. All of these trends and more would take off and take us to completely new places in the decades to come.
It goes without saying that many of these legendary franchises are still going strong, with new releases, movies, cover songs on YouTube, and so much more.
Playtime
Want to play your favorites? Try a site like Emulator Online, and you won’t even need to take a trip to the garage to dust off a console. If you want to see some rankings, check out IGN’s reader’s choice list of the Top 100 90s games.