Favourite Games Of Every Year
Read the title you big idiot???
25 Games
1997
It's weird looking back on the year I was born (1997) and seeing that I've never played almost any of the critical successes that came out that year (FF7, Symphony of the Night, Fallout 1 etc.) and the ones that I did like Pokemon Red/Blue (which is only a technicality I believe) and Crash 2; while I may be for nostalgic for; I don't even like that much. (Especially the latter!)
Therefore the winner has to be Tekken 3, just a good-ass fighting game for a young lil' whippersnapper like me to mash buttons thoughtlessly and experience the illusion of competency whilst doing so. Tekken 3 is full of a whole load of old-school charm like the polygonal graphics making some characters' designs literally indecipherable and the way you unlock silly meme character Gon (which is by entering your name as "Gon" with the 3-digit, arcade-style name-entry thing at the end of a run in one of the game's additional modes.) It's exactly what you'd expect from one of those silly late-90's PS1 fighting games.
It's weird looking back on the year I was born (1997) and seeing that I've never played almost any of the critical successes that came out that year (FF7, Symphony of the Night, Fallout 1 etc.) and the ones that I did like Pokemon Red/Blue (which is only a technicality I believe) and Crash 2; while I may be for nostalgic for; I don't even like that much. (Especially the latter!)
Therefore the winner has to be Tekken 3, just a good-ass fighting game for a young lil' whippersnapper like me to mash buttons thoughtlessly and experience the illusion of competency whilst doing so. Tekken 3 is full of a whole load of old-school charm like the polygonal graphics making some characters' designs literally indecipherable and the way you unlock silly meme character Gon (which is by entering your name as "Gon" with the 3-digit, arcade-style name-entry thing at the end of a run in one of the game's additional modes.) It's exactly what you'd expect from one of those silly late-90's PS1 fighting games.
1998
1998 is widely considered to be one of the greatest years in videogame history and when you look at all the stuff that came out that year it's not hard to see why. The original Spyro the Dragon and Sonic Adventure are two games I have a lotta nostalgic love for and even though my first experience with Ocarina of Time wasn't until years later via a Zelda 20th anniversary Wind Waker demo disc that came with my copy of Mario Kart: Double Dash for the GameCube, I do still have fond memories of pretty much experiencing Zelda for the first time through that disc (which came with full GameCube ports of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask!!) I also have to concede that it is by far the game I'd most like to go back to of the three. I mean, it's fuckin' Ocarina of Time. It's just a masterpiece, ain't it? Absolutely astounding how well this game has aged, it's still VERY playable well over 20 years later, there's very few games you'll ever be able to say that for.
Fun fact; when I got this demo disc with Mario Kart: Double Dash I initially thought almost nothing of it, basically having never even heard of Zelda after growing up with the PS1. It wasn't until after a childhood friend spotted the disc and freaked out about it that I took any notice of the series, he went on to wax lyrical for the next hour about how cool Zelda was and while I initially thought it looked "lame" at first, he fired up Ocarina of Time with me and got all the way to the first boss and had me convinced. The game was so atmospheric - so quietly noble in its ambition and I've been a fan ever since.
1998 is widely considered to be one of the greatest years in videogame history and when you look at all the stuff that came out that year it's not hard to see why. The original Spyro the Dragon and Sonic Adventure are two games I have a lotta nostalgic love for and even though my first experience with Ocarina of Time wasn't until years later via a Zelda 20th anniversary Wind Waker demo disc that came with my copy of Mario Kart: Double Dash for the GameCube, I do still have fond memories of pretty much experiencing Zelda for the first time through that disc (which came with full GameCube ports of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask!!) I also have to concede that it is by far the game I'd most like to go back to of the three. I mean, it's fuckin' Ocarina of Time. It's just a masterpiece, ain't it? Absolutely astounding how well this game has aged, it's still VERY playable well over 20 years later, there's very few games you'll ever be able to say that for.
Fun fact; when I got this demo disc with Mario Kart: Double Dash I initially thought almost nothing of it, basically having never even heard of Zelda after growing up with the PS1. It wasn't until after a childhood friend spotted the disc and freaked out about it that I took any notice of the series, he went on to wax lyrical for the next hour about how cool Zelda was and while I initially thought it looked "lame" at first, he fired up Ocarina of Time with me and got all the way to the first boss and had me convinced. The game was so atmospheric - so quietly noble in its ambition and I've been a fan ever since.
1999 (technically)
Pokemon Gold and Silver will forever be some of the games that hold the deepest nostalgic importance to me. When me and my brother were kids, we were actually friends! We got along quite well and I think that was largely through our mutual love of Pokemon. We both owned Gameboys and got Pokemon Gold & Silver respectively pretty near release (me the former, him the latter. These games didn't actually come out in Europe until 2001, which would be when we played it - when I was 4 and he was 6/7, but they are classed as 1999 games as they came out in Japan right at the end of that year so I'm putting them here.)
I have a very vivid memory of me and him out late at night (or, like, 19:00, which was pretty late for kids of our age) in our garden sat on a brick wall playing these games, telling eachother about what we'd found and what we'd caught, figuring out the PC system together and so many other things. Our Mum, who didn't wanna be a killjoy practically had to beg for us to come inside since we'd been out in the garden playing together for so long.
The first Pokemon games to be in colour, the first Pokemon games to have a day/night cycle, the Pokemon games that fixed so many of the glitches and wonky design decisions of their predecessors and ones with a vastly superior story. Amazing sequels with a ton of heart and so much room for genuine exploration and unique experiences the likes of which Pokemon has done away with almost entirely in the modern era with its incessant handholding and railroading. I think that sense of discovery is what drew me and my brother to it as kids, and they serve as my last positive memory of us as children before he "grew up" and decided he'd be an asshole who hated me for seemingly no reason. Gotta catch 'em all!
Pokemon Gold and Silver will forever be some of the games that hold the deepest nostalgic importance to me. When me and my brother were kids, we were actually friends! We got along quite well and I think that was largely through our mutual love of Pokemon. We both owned Gameboys and got Pokemon Gold & Silver respectively pretty near release (me the former, him the latter. These games didn't actually come out in Europe until 2001, which would be when we played it - when I was 4 and he was 6/7, but they are classed as 1999 games as they came out in Japan right at the end of that year so I'm putting them here.)
I have a very vivid memory of me and him out late at night (or, like, 19:00, which was pretty late for kids of our age) in our garden sat on a brick wall playing these games, telling eachother about what we'd found and what we'd caught, figuring out the PC system together and so many other things. Our Mum, who didn't wanna be a killjoy practically had to beg for us to come inside since we'd been out in the garden playing together for so long.
The first Pokemon games to be in colour, the first Pokemon games to have a day/night cycle, the Pokemon games that fixed so many of the glitches and wonky design decisions of their predecessors and ones with a vastly superior story. Amazing sequels with a ton of heart and so much room for genuine exploration and unique experiences the likes of which Pokemon has done away with almost entirely in the modern era with its incessant handholding and railroading. I think that sense of discovery is what drew me and my brother to it as kids, and they serve as my last positive memory of us as children before he "grew up" and decided he'd be an asshole who hated me for seemingly no reason. Gotta catch 'em all!
2000
One of only two games that I think can compete with Pokemon Gold/Silver in terms of nostalgic importance to me. Hell, Spyro: Year Of The Dragon is likely the game most deeply-rooted in my childhood. This was the first game I ever truly fell in love with, the first one that really transported me to a different world, the first one I couldn't stop thinking about at school. My Mum always loved watching me play it and sometimes tried to play it a little with me herself, she'd laugh with me over the character of Moneybags and how he was constantly (and rightfully) getting his shit kicked in in just about every cutscene, and she'd often ask how I was progressing in it.
And I still think it's just an uncomplicated good time nowadays. Spyro 3 still has some of the most understatedly amazing hub worlds in any game of its kind ever in my opinion, there are so many little nooks and crannies to scour for secrets and collectibles, the levels are compact and diverse, the soundtrack laced with some of the sexiest drumming Stewart Copeland has ever committed to any medium and the voice acting shockingly convincing across the board.
When YouTube was a relatively new thing in the mid-late 2000s and as I discovered the potential of the internet, one of the first things I tried to do was find videos of this game, my copy of which had long been stuffed away in some garage along with the PS1. When I found said footage, I realised that I could just rewatch any level or any moment of this game whenever I wanted, that it would never have to just be a memory again. I still remember watching someone's old, early YouTube-era playthrough of it and crying just at the opening moments of the first hub world alone. I was, like, 9. How tf was I experiencing tearjerking nostalgia at 9 years old?
One of only two games that I think can compete with Pokemon Gold/Silver in terms of nostalgic importance to me. Hell, Spyro: Year Of The Dragon is likely the game most deeply-rooted in my childhood. This was the first game I ever truly fell in love with, the first one that really transported me to a different world, the first one I couldn't stop thinking about at school. My Mum always loved watching me play it and sometimes tried to play it a little with me herself, she'd laugh with me over the character of Moneybags and how he was constantly (and rightfully) getting his shit kicked in in just about every cutscene, and she'd often ask how I was progressing in it.
And I still think it's just an uncomplicated good time nowadays. Spyro 3 still has some of the most understatedly amazing hub worlds in any game of its kind ever in my opinion, there are so many little nooks and crannies to scour for secrets and collectibles, the levels are compact and diverse, the soundtrack laced with some of the sexiest drumming Stewart Copeland has ever committed to any medium and the voice acting shockingly convincing across the board.
When YouTube was a relatively new thing in the mid-late 2000s and as I discovered the potential of the internet, one of the first things I tried to do was find videos of this game, my copy of which had long been stuffed away in some garage along with the PS1. When I found said footage, I realised that I could just rewatch any level or any moment of this game whenever I wanted, that it would never have to just be a memory again. I still remember watching someone's old, early YouTube-era playthrough of it and crying just at the opening moments of the first hub world alone. I was, like, 9. How tf was I experiencing tearjerking nostalgia at 9 years old?
2001
And here it is; the final piece in the holy trinity of "games that could make Brad blubber like a fuckin' baby." Back around 2001/2002 we had a Blockbuster about 5 mins from our house and we used to rent movies & games from it all the time. Of everything we ever rented, this was the only one I ever went back for multiple times until my Dad had the money to just outright buy it for me. It would, naturally go on to be massively important and nostalgic for me. This game's soundtrack above all else is absolutely elite, as is the case with almost every Sonic game and songs like Tails' theme, Metal Harbour and Cosmic Wall have all brought me to tears on various occasions due to the sheer power of sentimentality.
I really don't know how to articulate this; but when I think of Sonic Adventure 2 I think of...Freedom? I'm not sure if that comes down to the fact that I played it as a kid when I had so much freedom in what I did after school, or it's how I feel about the game's, dare I say; "vibe." I just feel like it has such a free spirit. I think about the opening cutscene of the Hero Story, I think about City Escape, Metal Harbour, Wild Canyon, Pyramid Cave and I just think of this unbridled sense of fun and joy, I get the sense that the people who worked on this game had a ton of fun doing so because there's just so much optimism laced in every fibre of this game and yet even with that being said, quite unlike more modern Sonic games it knows when to get serious and I think actually does so very well when the time comes! Cheesy as it may be, I think this game's story is quite good, and I kinda love it!
It's a shame this game is often on the receiving end of so much bad faith criticism because I think it overshadows just how much does it right. Not just the soundtrack, but the graphics, the story & characters, the moment-to-moment gameplay, it's all a huge step up from its predecessor. I used to go back to play my favourite level; Pyramid Cave all the time just for fun. Just to play that level, hear the music and feel the rush of a good run. That's the sign of a game that has the juice.
This is all without mentioning the Chao Garden, perhaps the greatest side-mode ever tacked on to a game, like, seriously, ever? We'll have to chat about it VS COD Zombies.
I was traumatised as a child by the Boom Boos who I still think are far too frightening to be in a kid's game like this, as a child who was very subject to sensory overload and had them jump out of crates and walls at me with their big terrifying faces far too often, they were very not "rock n' roll", Sonic Adventure 2!!! Alas, I'll forgive you for everything else you did for me.
Knuckles in this game was the best male role model I ever had in my life.
And here it is; the final piece in the holy trinity of "games that could make Brad blubber like a fuckin' baby." Back around 2001/2002 we had a Blockbuster about 5 mins from our house and we used to rent movies & games from it all the time. Of everything we ever rented, this was the only one I ever went back for multiple times until my Dad had the money to just outright buy it for me. It would, naturally go on to be massively important and nostalgic for me. This game's soundtrack above all else is absolutely elite, as is the case with almost every Sonic game and songs like Tails' theme, Metal Harbour and Cosmic Wall have all brought me to tears on various occasions due to the sheer power of sentimentality.
I really don't know how to articulate this; but when I think of Sonic Adventure 2 I think of...Freedom? I'm not sure if that comes down to the fact that I played it as a kid when I had so much freedom in what I did after school, or it's how I feel about the game's, dare I say; "vibe." I just feel like it has such a free spirit. I think about the opening cutscene of the Hero Story, I think about City Escape, Metal Harbour, Wild Canyon, Pyramid Cave and I just think of this unbridled sense of fun and joy, I get the sense that the people who worked on this game had a ton of fun doing so because there's just so much optimism laced in every fibre of this game and yet even with that being said, quite unlike more modern Sonic games it knows when to get serious and I think actually does so very well when the time comes! Cheesy as it may be, I think this game's story is quite good, and I kinda love it!
It's a shame this game is often on the receiving end of so much bad faith criticism because I think it overshadows just how much does it right. Not just the soundtrack, but the graphics, the story & characters, the moment-to-moment gameplay, it's all a huge step up from its predecessor. I used to go back to play my favourite level; Pyramid Cave all the time just for fun. Just to play that level, hear the music and feel the rush of a good run. That's the sign of a game that has the juice.
This is all without mentioning the Chao Garden, perhaps the greatest side-mode ever tacked on to a game, like, seriously, ever? We'll have to chat about it VS COD Zombies.
I was traumatised as a child by the Boom Boos who I still think are far too frightening to be in a kid's game like this, as a child who was very subject to sensory overload and had them jump out of crates and walls at me with their big terrifying faces far too often, they were very not "rock n' roll", Sonic Adventure 2!!! Alas, I'll forgive you for everything else you did for me.
Knuckles in this game was the best male role model I ever had in my life.
2002
Mario Sunshine is another game from my Blockbuster era, and the first 3D Mario I ever played, my only previous experience being some GBA games the names of which I genuinely don't remember.
And honestly? What an introduction, when you're a kid, none of the flaws like gimmicky boss battles or glitchy walls matter at all. Mario Sunshine just keeps dangling keys in front of your face. You have a big silly water gun! You can belly flop on the water you spray and slide all around the level! There's a huge giant fuck off beach! This is the coolest thing ever!!!
The Sand Bird doesn't even make you wanna launch a controller at a wall! Man, being a kid sure was something. Nothing around this time put me at ease quite like just hanging out on Delfino Isle, one of the best worlds ever committed to any game ever in my opinion, let alone a 3D Mario.
Mario Sunshine is another game from my Blockbuster era, and the first 3D Mario I ever played, my only previous experience being some GBA games the names of which I genuinely don't remember.
And honestly? What an introduction, when you're a kid, none of the flaws like gimmicky boss battles or glitchy walls matter at all. Mario Sunshine just keeps dangling keys in front of your face. You have a big silly water gun! You can belly flop on the water you spray and slide all around the level! There's a huge giant fuck off beach! This is the coolest thing ever!!!
The Sand Bird doesn't even make you wanna launch a controller at a wall! Man, being a kid sure was something. Nothing around this time put me at ease quite like just hanging out on Delfino Isle, one of the best worlds ever committed to any game ever in my opinion, let alone a 3D Mario.
2003
Simpsons Hit & Run is shockingly good for what it is. Almost all of the original voice actors reprise their roles, every track feels ripped straight out of the show (and the songs in Bart & Lisa's levels in particular SLAP) and the environments are recreated so faithfully that playing Simpsons Hit & Run truly does just feel like playing through a big movie based on the show.
As a kid growing up who'd just become old enough to watch The Simpsons and understand most of it, this game really immersed in a world I was just starting to enjoy, and nothing was funnier than jumping on Ralph Wiggum's stupid head and kicking him until he couldn't get up.
As an adult, nothing is funnier than jumping on Ralph Wiggum's stupid head and kicking him until he can't get up.
Simpsons Hit & Run is shockingly good for what it is. Almost all of the original voice actors reprise their roles, every track feels ripped straight out of the show (and the songs in Bart & Lisa's levels in particular SLAP) and the environments are recreated so faithfully that playing Simpsons Hit & Run truly does just feel like playing through a big movie based on the show.
As a kid growing up who'd just become old enough to watch The Simpsons and understand most of it, this game really immersed in a world I was just starting to enjoy, and nothing was funnier than jumping on Ralph Wiggum's stupid head and kicking him until he couldn't get up.
As an adult, nothing is funnier than jumping on Ralph Wiggum's stupid head and kicking him until he can't get up.
2004
I played very little that came out in 2004, and in fact I don't think I ever owned a copy of the original Fable (since I never had an original Xbox) but I first saw it around a friend's house and we played it a LOT of it together since he lived so close by.
I have a lot of fond memories of this game even if I don't remember quite enough critically to say whether it was "good" or not, I just remember being called "chicken chaser" and "farm boy" a lot and being able to do a bunch of stupid poses in front of people in public all the time and I think it was very entertaining to 9/10 year-old me.
I played very little that came out in 2004, and in fact I don't think I ever owned a copy of the original Fable (since I never had an original Xbox) but I first saw it around a friend's house and we played it a LOT of it together since he lived so close by.
I have a lot of fond memories of this game even if I don't remember quite enough critically to say whether it was "good" or not, I just remember being called "chicken chaser" and "farm boy" a lot and being able to do a bunch of stupid poses in front of people in public all the time and I think it was very entertaining to 9/10 year-old me.
