Best year in videogame history, 1997 or 1998?

o1s1n

Something I've been battling with today, which was a better year for games - '97 or '98?

1997 notable entries lifted from Wiki

Final Fantasy VII, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, GoldenEye 007, Star Fox 64, Tomb Raider II, Ultima Online, Virtua Striker 2, Everybody's Golf, I.Q.: Intelligent Qube, PaRappa the Rapper, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Gran Turismo, Diablo, Grand Theft Auto and Fallout.

Also worth noting Carmageddon, MDK, Formula 1 97, The Curse of Monkey Island, Einhander.

1998 notable entries lifted from Wiki.

 F-Zero X, Marvel vs. Capcom, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, Pocket Monsters: Pikachu, Resident Evil 2, Sonic Adventure, Street Fighter Alpha 3, The House of the Dead 2, and Tomb Raider III, Banjo-Kazooie, Dance Dance Revolution, Gex: Enter the Gecko, Half-Life, MediEvil, Parasite Eve, Radiant Silvergun, Spyro the Dragon, StarCraft and Xenogears. 

I see Panzer Dragoon Saga isn't on that list for 1998, either is Tekken 3, Grim Fandango, StarCraft..

I dunno. 1998 wins by sheer number of great games alone, but then 1997 still has FF VII, SOTN, Starfox. Golden Eye, Gran Turismo, GTA AND Fallout. Ah, I'm back to not knowing again!

Inviere

Edit - Duplicate post, and still no way to self delete posts on this vanilla crap.

Retr0gamer

I've thought about this before and 1998 for me is the best year ever in gaming.

1997 was a good year but it was kind of the year when developers finally got their heads around the PS1,Saturn and N64 and started making good games.

1998 on the other hand was when developers had fully grasped the hardware of these machines and starting pumping out absolute classics. PC was also well within its golden phase and had an amazing year as well.

Although 1998 was followed by 1999 to 2005 were each year was an absolute banger.

KeRbDoG

(corrects glasses on nose) those release years, those be JAP release dates or EUR? :) I think MGS was released on the PS1 in 1999 in Europe.

...I'll get my coat

CiDeRmAn

1997 for me.

Just a mountain of games that defined the scene for me, at least on that cycle, F1'97 and Wipeout 2097, and Gran Turismo just about squeaks it by being released in Japan in late '97 too.

Plus, Starfox, Goldeneye and GTA got hours and hours of play

Dublinandy3

Am I allowed to be the odd one out and say 1992?

Games I am rather fond of are:

Championship Manager, Sonic 2, Super Mario Kart, King's Quest 6, Alone in The Dark, Desert Strike, Street Fighter 2, Zelda - A Link To The Past, Sensible Soccer, Amiga version of Grand Prix.

But disregarding that whatever year Civilization 2 was released, I still play it so therefore that year has to be the best.

Colonel Panic

Impossible for me to choose really. I think I’ve made up my mind then I look at the other list.

I can’t believe there was so much overlap between DC and N64’s golden era. I didn’t get one until 1999 myself though, were there many importers here?

dav09

For me game wise, probably 1997. 1998 started some great franchises like Sypro, Sonic Adventure, DDR, but actually felt the original to some of these when playing back were somewhat meh compared to their more iconic sequels.

I think 1991 was a great year too with Sonic The Hedgehog, Street Fighter 2, The Simpsons Arcade, Sunset Riders, Legend Of Zelda: Link To The Past, Duke Nukem, Streets of Rage

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119079209#Comment_119079209

Don't you be complicating matters by adding 1992! :D that was some year indeed. Street Fighter 2, Mario Kart, .. it's absolutely amazing how many core videogame franchises came out of the early to mid 90s.

Re '97/'98, Today I'm erring more towards '97, mainly because Kerbdog kicked MGS a year forward into 1999!

SuperBowserWorld

Whatever year Bomb Jack came out in.

Dublinandy3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119079568#Comment_119079568

Out of the two I'd say 97 shades it

CiDeRmAn

The early 90s were fantastic as well, my times with my MD and Snes and all those great games, so another vote here for '92.

Ultimately, there were a whole series of great years, and the 90's were a fertile ground for great game development.

I mean, in 95 I was also head over heels in love with PC gaming, with Quake and Mechwarrior 2 being a pair of games that I spent a whole heap of time with, as well as countless other titles of such a variety that only the PS2 matched seven years later.

waynescales1

Tomb Raider 3 was a terrible game. Crash Bandicoots 2 & 3 are missing from your lists.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119080925#Comment_119080925

Agree with TR3, its not great but then again TR2 isn't great either. Prefer TR1 a lot more.

Crash 2 and 3 are only OK. Klonoa and Tomba are far better games than those. Both released in 1997 and should be on the list.

Thief, Battlezone, Baldur's Gate are missing from 1998.

geotrig

If was asked this without pre-empt suggestion of 97-98 I would never have come closeto those 2 years would have said early 90's or some odd years in the 80's, even the mid 2000!! and while 97-98 looks ok seeing that list I still think earlier years were better.

waynescales1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119081172#Comment_119081172

I had a TR1 v TR2 conversation on Boards recently enough, was it with you? Haha!

TR2 was a great game, I stand by that!

Montage of Feck

I still remember playing MGS for the first time, the pyscho mantis sequence was a revelation to me that really brought gaming to new level. So for me it has to be '98 if only for MGS alone.

Gameplay wise it still holds up today, most of the early 3D action games have controls and camera views that now feel very janky. The story was nice and tight while remaining involving, in the subsequent games the story became a bit overblown.

CiDeRmAn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119081172#Comment_119081172

Thanks for mentioning Battlezone.

That was an incredible game on the PC, running on the same Mechwarrior engine as Interstate 76, another great game!

I still have the instruction manual for Battlezone somewhere, a wonderful bit of alternative history writing, printed on enough paper to make a Green Party TD weep!

CiDeRmAn

Also, 1998 contained F1'98, one of the worst sequels I have ever played, so disappointing it was.

I remember the Sony rep trying to convince us of how good it was, but everyone knew it was complete tripe.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119083245#Comment_119083245

Probably was. I played through them recently and TR1 really holds up far better than I expected. TR2's focus on combat was a very poor decision, the puzzles were not as good as the original game and neither are the environments. There's some good levels like the sunken ship but most are really poor and boring. Nobody is excited about exploring an oil tanker.

TR2 was way more hyped at the time and was a lot of people's first TR game but going back to it while it's bigger, badder and more violent, the first game is just a more tightly designed game. TR2 definitely isn't bad but it's no where near the classic I consider the original being.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119083974#Comment_119083974

I remember the PS1 F1 games being a big deal. Did they change developer for 98?

1997

Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix II One of the best DOS games could be played in Windows too, although it preferred DOS

X Wing Vs TIE Fighter Lucas Arts.

Flight Simulator 98: Yes, this was on sale in late 1997 in Virgin Megastore on Burgh Quay.

Dante

1998 purely because of Starcraft!

TheIrishGrover

I'd have to go '98 purely for Ocarina

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084077#Comment_119084077

Formula 1 '97 was bloody brilliant. I couldn't get over the Murray Walker commentating throughout the races when I was a kid, made the game feel so real.

It did indeed change developer when 98 came out - to 'Visual Science' whoever they were!

JPup

What year were you guys born? I'm guessing early 80s?

Everyone thinks music peaked in their teens and has been going downhill since. Same with computer games I would imagine.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084300#Comment_119084300

Nobody said videogames have been going down hill since, just that there was a definite peak around the 97/98 era purely based on the vast quantity of amazing titles released - many of which have had countless sequels released since. It's actually quite staggering to look back on when compared to big name new IPs and titles released at the moment.

Or maybe you're right and I'm just a rose tinted glasses old fart :D

Vicxas

1998 for me, but surely 2000 should be in the conversation too. I mean Deus Ex, Sims, Diablo 2, FFIX, Legend of Zelda, Majoras Mask.

CiDeRmAn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084077#Comment_119084077

Yep, Bizarre Creations did the first two, then some awful shower called Visual Science made '98 which was panned, Psygnosis, the publisher, then handed it off to Studio 33 who were formed from Psygnosis devs, and they carried the franchise forward for the next number of entries.

The first two though, they are still fantastic fun.

CiDeRmAn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084300#Comment_119084300

No, I can't agree with you there.

Appreciating videogames isn't the same as music. While I might have fond memories of the games I played as a teenager, on the Spectrum, C64 and in the arcades, it doesn't eclipse the stuff I played in the 90's, 00's and up to the present day, just a different version of me each time, a different context to what I am playing, what I am playing it on and how much time I can devote to the past-time.

TLDR:

I love Galaga, Pacman and Robotron, but I also love Quake and Mechwarrior, Super Mario 64, Goldeneye, Deus Ex, Ico, The Last of Us and Halo, and now Halo Infinite, Superhot, Super Mario Odyssey, Everyone's Gone to the Rapture and The Stanley Parable.

There is no ever decreasing circle of quality or good times here, it is just changing as the tech changes and I change with it.

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084300#Comment_119084300

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084319#Comment_119084319

Plus..... Y'know... Retro in the forum

waynescales1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084345#Comment_119084345

"Your appointment to FEMA should be finalised within the week..."

waynescales1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084073#Comment_119084073

Yeah I remember this conversation alright. The monotony of the environments was TR1's biggest weakness, and the variety of location in TR2 was what took Tomb Raider to the next level.

CiDeRmAn

Which was the one with the Cistern level, that was a fantastic use of 3D space.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, was another stone cold classic

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119087428#Comment_119087428

First game. That was a genius bit of level design and I remember it bringing my brand new Power VR 3D card to its knees at the time. Some really great puzzles in that game. The water wheel and waterfall, The submerged egyptian statues, the church with the trials based on myths, Lara's mirror. Surprised how well it held up as was expecting something clunkier.

Shite boss battles tough!

Skerries

98 had some radical and bodacious games man!

Half Life - that opening scene on the train that would have normally been a cut scene was now interactive

Resident Evil 2 - a perfect game just got a killer sequel

Metal Gear Solid - who hasn't had their phone notifications to one of the many memorable sounds from that game

StarCraft - Zerg Rush!

Markus Antonius

Kinda depressing that it was all downhill from there. A slight glimmer of hope in 2011 but then dropped again. Maybe it's more a reflection of life changing over the years and just getting older...

You could easily have a 19, 20, 21 year old say that 2007 or 2008 were the greatest years...

Retr0gamer

There actually is a lot of talk that 2008 and 2011 was the best year ever but when ever I look at the list it's one or two stand out triple A, sone good indie and a lot of over rated big publisher games that are 'grand'.

o1s1n

I'm not familiar at all with post 2000 game release dates really - don't get me wrong I've played a lot of games since then, but if you asked me to tell you what year X game on the Xbox 360 was released for example, I wouldn't have a bean.

Just looking at 2008 though and it's actually fairly decent alright, a lot of the standouts seem to be sequels - Fallout 3, GTA IV, MGS IV, Smash Bros Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, Red Alert 3, Persona 4, Fable 2.

I think maybe that's why the 90s dates stand out to me a lot, they seem to form a lot of the new IP bedrock that lots of games since have come out of with countless sequels.

Saying that, 2008 did have Mirror's Edge, which I absolutely loved.

kevthegaff

Fifa 97 was a great game, it was bad then for a few years after that.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119088395#Comment_119088395

I'll make it easy for you. In retrospect GTA4 , MGS4 and Mario Kart Wii are very weak. Brawl I liked but the fighting game community HATE! it. And While I liked Fallout 3, it always came up short for me and New Vegas is the game is should have been.

2009 is regarded as a strong year as well.

I'd have to maybe look back at 2008 and 2009 and take into account handhelds as well as they normally get ignored but there was a huge number of great games out on the DS and PSP at the time.

I just feel triple A quality has really gone downhill lately and the best triple A games wouldn't have been 6/7/8 out of 10 games if they had come out in the 90s. But you also have to take into account indie which has just been a phenomenal game changer.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119088477#Comment_119088477

If I remember correctly, the Fifa games were always considered complete scutter on PS1 by people that knew their football and they would be championing ISS and Pro Evo. I knew a few old school regulars would be importing the japanese j-league versions of the games rather than play Fifa.

Quigs Snr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119088525#Comment_119088525

Correct. ISS / Pro Evo was where it was at for footie fans throughout the PS1 era and deep into the PS2 era.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119088517#Comment_119088517

I always completely forget about handhelds with these things. The DS IMO has potentially the greatest handheld library out there, was an absolute golden age for handheld gaming. In fact during that era I probably spent more time with my DS than any other console.

Just looking at a list of 2008 DS games, Some crackers from that year:

The World Ends With You, Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, Professor Layton, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, Space Invaders Extreme, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, Bangai-O Spirits,  Soul Bubbles,  Metal Slug 7 and even the Chrono Trigger rerelease.

 

Retr0gamer

I still think the DS is the best console ever made. Just look at the library and how many crackers there are and how diverse it is. PS1/PS2 is the only other systems you could argue against it.

The PSP was also a cracking little system but it was kind of the Megadrive of its day. Brilliant library but not as well remembered because the competition was just so good.

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119088525#Comment_119088525

I hated fifa, lived pro evolution but fifa97 was quite good

I was an avid FIFA player until FIFA '98 ruined it for me and I made the switch to ISS/Pro Evo. It was much better for about the next 6 or 7 years until EA got their act together again.

I must say, I'm in the 1996 camp myself, purely because I find those games made much more of a lasting impression:

Quake 1, Tomb Raider 1, Res. Evil 1, C&C: Red Alert, Duke Nukem 3D, Tekken 2, Myst, The first couple of Pokemon games (though I wasn't into them at the time as they were for 'kids'), Crash Bandicoot, MK3, The sequel to wipeout, Mario 64, Mario Kart 64.......

I was huge into arcades and arcade games at the time, spent all my spare money in them. A friend had Killer Instinct on the N64 and I hated him for it. A few that I found on the wiki........Daytona USA, Metal Slug, Point Blank, Decathlete, SF Alpha 2......quality.

Retr0gamer

The west didn't get pokemon until 1998 I'm america and 1999 in Europe.

speedboatchase

Tough but for me it has to be 1997. Bear in mind your list is missing the EU launch of the N64 and thus Super Mario 64 and Wave Race 64 (both originally released in 1996 elsewhere). Gran Turismo was 1998 in Europe.

In terms of all-timers, 1997 has Super Mario 64, Final Fantasy VII and Goldeneye 007. 1998 has Half-Life, Ocarina of Time and Metal Gear Solid.

It's really down to personal preference. What is definite though is that those two years are the peak of what is the most transformative technological and creative leap in gaming software IMO. By comparison 1995 is too early for 32-bit (and 64-bit doesn't yet begin) and 1999 is too early in the next generation. There are obviously strong years since (2009 and 2012 stand out for me) but because of how long console generations are these days and how expensive games are to develop by comparison, you don't get the same level of concentration in AAA games - plus, genres are now tending to move inwards (borrowing systems like battle royale, etc) rather than expand and become their own thing.

Retr0gamer

I think 2009 and 2012 we good years in terms of the PS360 era. They were as good as a bad year during the PS2 era.

CiDeRmAn

The transition over from PS2 to 360 as the dominant console of the mid to late 00s was pretty ripe with great games, and the arrival of the Xbox Marketplace of independent games made them very accessible, rather than hoping some publisher would bring it to the PS2 on a budget brand.

In that period I enjoyed the likes of Bayonetta, Bioshock, Demon's Souls, COD:MW and GTAIV, and they've left me with great memories of the period