The Most Popular Game In Each Year of the 1990s

If you’ve ever wondered which home console or computer game was the most popular the year you were born, then you’re in the right place … so long as you were born in the 1990s. The decade saw tons of innovation in the industry, leading to a drastic expansion of fighting games, platformers, RPGs, and more. Each year, publishers release hundreds of high-quality video games, and only one can be considered the most popular. Of course, popularity isn’t always quantifiable as a metric, so for this article, it’s primarily based on sales, but also each game’s overall impact on the industry in the year it was released.

1990) Super Mario Bros. 3

Nintendo released Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America in 1990, and it was a massive hit. The first advertisement for the new Mario title came via a feature film (The Wizard), and anticipation was high. The game introduced numerous enhancements over the previous two franchise entries, including new abilities, a world map, and much more. It’s widely considered the best game released on the NES, and it sold over 17 million copies. Super Mario Bros. 3 was remade and re-released multiple times, and it stands as one of the best platformers ever released on the NES.

1991) Sonic the Hedgehog

While the NES dominated 8-bit platformers, the Sega Genesis improved on them with twice the processing power. The biggest game from 1991 was easily Sonic the Hedgehog, which defined the Genesis and made Sonic Sega’s mascot forevermore. The platformer introduced dynamic mechanics centered on speed, making gameplay incredibly entertaining without increasing difficulty beyond a level of an enjoyable challenge. Sonic the Hedgehog launched a multi-billion-dollar multimedia franchise and was a huge success. Sega sold more than 40 million copies, making Sonic the Hedgehog the biggest game of the year and also the best-selling title on the Genesis.

1992) Street Fighter II

It took a while for fighting games to become streamlined, and the game that made that happen was Street Fighter II. The original game was released in 1991, and while popular, it was the release of Street Fighter II: Champion Edition that made the biggest splash in ’92. Capcom has released new versions of the game over the years, and everyone has their favorites. Regardless, Street Fighter II was easily the most popular game in 1992, in and out of arcades. It was ported to every system that could play it, dominating the home video game market. Because of its many releases, it’s hard to point to a single sales figure, but home console versions sold in excess of 15 million units.

1993) Doom

While video game consoles had plenty to offer in 1993, there’s no denying that Doom, initially released on MD-DOS, was the top game of the year, though Myst is a close second. Doom was a transformative title, enhancing the FPS genre in innovative and violent ways. It caused controversy due to its violent imagery, and as often happens in these situations, that only made players want to get their hands on a copy even more. We have Doom to thank for popularising the term “Deathmatch” in video games, and its online gameplay, which was limited, was nonetheless one of its best features. Sales figures show that around 3.5 million copies were sold by the end of the decade, and the franchise that Doom helped cultivate continues to this day.

1994) Donkey Kong Country

Up to 1994, Donkey Kong was a villain, having been the baddie in his debut arcade hit. Donkey Kong Country changed all of that, transforming the character into a hero alongside his nephew Diddy Kong. The game used pre-rendered 3D models that elevated console platformers to new heights, and Donkey Kong Country remains the franchise’s most popular game. That’s due to its many innovations and the fun it is to play, with 40 side-scrolling levels designed with challenging mechanics in mind. While it’s been rereleased several times, original sales exceeded 9.3 million units, making it one of the best-selling games on the Super Nintendo.

1995) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island

There were tons of excellent games released in 1995, from Chrono Trigger on the SNES to Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness on PC. Still, looking at all of the great games from the year, the one that stands out above the rest is Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. The second title in the Super Mario World series focuses largely on Yoshi, who helps a baby Mario rescue his brother Luigi from an evil wizard named Kamek. Everything about Yoshi’s Island ups the ante from its predecessor, and it received widespread critical acclaim. The game sold more than 4 million units, making it one of the SNES’ best-selling games.

1996) Pokémon Red and Blue

Plenty of excellent games hit the market in 1996, including Duke Nukem 3D, Mario Kart 64, Super Mario 64, Civilization II, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Quake, and others. The game that had the greatest impact on the industry wasn’t Resident Evil or Tomb Raider; it was Pokémon Red and Blue. This is the game that not only launched a multimedia franchise but also established what would become the most profitable franchise in history, with a total valuation of around $115 billion. The first Pokémon game was a massive success, selling somewhere in excess of 31 million copies across its versions.

1997) GoldenEye 007

If you played games in 1997, you likely spent time with the first Diablo, Fallout, Total Annihilation, and Age of Empires games, all of which were huge. The first Grand Theft Auto also came out in ‘97, as did the massive hit, Final Fantasy VII. Still, looking back, it’s hard to select any of those when 1997 is the year that GoldenEye 007 utterly dominated. The innovative FPS wasn’t just an excellent movie tie-in game but also one of the most significant FPS titles of the decade. It received widespread critical and player acclaim, amassing over 8 million in total sales for the Nintendo 64.

1998) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time & Metal Gear Solid

There were tons of great games released in 1998 that did tremendously well, including Soulcalibur, Resident Evil 2, Half-Life, Fallout 2, Starcraft, Baldur’s Gate, and plenty of others. Ultimately, 1998 tied, as two games dominated equally: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64 and Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation. Both games sold over 7 million copies and ranked as the best games on their respective systems in 1998. Not only did these two games lead sales, but they also established or renewed franchises, enhancing gameplay mechanics across the spectrum. Both are remembered as two of the best games of 1998.

1999) Pokémon Gold and Silver

As in previous years, 1999 featured some stellar games, including Shenmue, Planescape: Torment, EverQuest, Age of Empires II, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, among many others. Ultimately, the title for best game of the year goes to the second generation in a previously mentioned franchise, Pokémon Gold and Silver. Like its predecessor, Pokémon Gold and Silver revolutionized gaming, adding color via the Game Boy Color, while increasing the number of catchable Pokémon by 100 new species. Unsurprisingly, it sold tremendously well, garnering over 23 million copies in a decade. There was plenty of competition, but in the end, Pokémon Gold and Silver took the top spot in 1999.

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