The Greatest Year in Games!

[ATenderLad]

(I mentioned this would be a fun topic ages ago and then, predictably, forgot it entirely. Thanks to that 1993 thread for reminding me!)

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People debate "The Greatest Year in Movies" pretty often, and there's some well-argued contenders. There's actually entire books written about '39, 62', and 99' at least, advocating for flicks with historical significance, innovations in craft, or just sheer entertainment and success.

(I'm partial to '64, myself- Topkapi, Goldfinger, My Fair Lady, The Train - but 2015 comes in hot with Fury Road, Magic Mike XXL, Creed, The Hateful Eight, and Crimson Peak. An embarrassment of riches!)

Branching off that idea, if video games had sommeliers, what year would they pour for special occasions, a gentle swirl aerating the platformers and Doom clones while they remark on subtle notes of co-op party game? Better yet, if YOU were the expert in question, what calendar year in video games would get a satisfied "Mmph, excellent vintage" as you pop the cork blow on the cartridge?

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I've only a few guidelines:

1. Don't say '72 because Pong kick-started the industry, I've mentioned it here and now, so you don't have to!
2. Ideally, give a bit of context to a game or group of games, and not *just* a long list of the titles you like in a year or felt were important.
3. Narrow it down to just ONE year, please! (It might be fun to see if there's an agreed winner, if enough people answer).

 

[χKai]

Personally, I think it's 1988.
I was also born in '88, so this just adds up.

We also got such great titles as Mario 3, Ninja Gaiden, Bionic Commando, Blaster Master, and Double Dragon 2,

 

[fake-kun]

1998, the year Mega Man & Bass came out.

 

[Mork]

2004 is the best year to me. You got your San Andreas, Snake-eater, Half Life 2, VTMB, Halo 2. Pretty much the peak of those franchises.

 

[Cardboardtubeknight]

1995 is when Hong Kong 97 came out, so I think we have a winner.

Edit: Oh and Chrono Trigger I guess

 

[Advil Lavs]

I'm gonna say 2007 just because I was born that year and some of my favourite games were made that year.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Honestly? There may never be another year as significant as 1990, purely because it was the year both The Secret Of Monkey Island (arguably the greatest graphic adventure ever made) and Stunts (a game which defied its own technical limitations to become a global multiplayer phenomenon) were released.

 

[ATenderLad]

Okay, "the year of my birth" is becoming a trend I didn't expect!

 

[Hourai]

I liked '17 quite a bit. I'm sure there are earlier years that I liked quite a bit more, but I never really pay attention to release year.

 

[ATenderLad]

I liked '17 quite a bit. I'm sure there are earlier years that I liked quite a bit more, but I never really pay attention to release year.

Oh it's arbitrary, like the concept of generations or the Houston Texans, but when I had a bit of fun with the Random Game Challenge thread awhile back, I thought about how Wagyan Paradise had the misfortune of releasing in '94, alongside some of the most beloved games ever made in it's genre. Just seemed like a fun thought!

Random Game Challenge!!!

I got an untranslated dating sim for the PS1. I guess I should see how far I can get without having any idea what's going on. 1734350629 Well I tried to use a japanese handwriting site and wiktionary to maybe get some meaning out of the text, now my head hurts a lot. I think I know what the...

retrogametalk.com

 

[Pokenami]

2005 is the best year for me since it released with some of the best games I ever played.

 

[Psp_enjoyer]

I don't know that I've thought about it enough to narrow it down to a single year. It feels like games belong in eras, libraries, and genres, even more so than movies. If I had a single favorite movie, which I don't know that I have either, I could just say x year, but I can't for the life of me pick a single favorite game.

All I know is that it would be something released between 1980 and 2010, since games have overwhelmingly been let downs in the last 15 years. I'm partial to Pokemon, so just so it wouldn't be a cop out, I'm going to say, 1996: Pokemon Red.

 

[valosagutas]

I won't mean it like the rest of the years in gaming was trivial but especially 2004 - 2005 was very precious to me in so many levels.

 

[Virtuafighter]

2004 because some of arguably the best games of their genres came out that year:

Action Adventure: Metal Gear Solid 3
Action: GTA San Andreas
FPS: Half Life 2, Halo 2, Metroid Prime 2
JRPG: Paper Mario TTYD, Dragon Quest 8
Platformers: Ratchet & Clank 3, Sly 2, Katamari Damacy (kinda Platformer)
Racing: Gran Turismo 4, Burnout 3

 

[ATenderLad]

That's multiple 2004's thus far, that's interesting! (Work and figuring out how the hell to be an adult really side-tracked me from video games around that time).

 

[Denmdm]

Indeed 2004, it was so good it even got out of videogames and Lucky Star (the manga) got released that year. Goes to show how awesome it was

 

[X y b e r - S k u ll]

I know 1998 and 2001 are often the years most people debate as being the greatest years of gaming (For very good reasons) but, as others in the thread have pointed out, I think it's time we start looking at 2004 as potentially being a part of that conversation now.

 

[Yousef]

I think it’s 2001.

 

[ATenderLad]

I know 1998 and 2001 are often the years most people debate as being the greatest years of gaming (For very good reasons) but, as others in the thread have pointed out, I think it's time we start looking at 2004 as potentially being a part of that conversation now.

I think it’s 2001.

Mind if i ask either of y'all what made 2001 special to you?

 

[Denmdm]

Well, Azumanga Daioh did come out in 2001...

Oh yea we're talking about gaming, FFX, GTA 3 and DMC did come out that year huh?

 

[stealthRUSH]

Hard to choose I would say 1988 for reasons, or 1996 since it's the year of my most completed games. But 1994, 1997, and 1999 were also remarkable. I'm going with 1996.

 

[Antilocal123]

Probably none, go outside. /j

But nah uhhhh I guess the 2020’s

 

[valosagutas]

Probably none, go outside. /j

But nah uhhhh I guess the 2020’s

The best year of going outside and touching grass was the year 297,975 BCE. No year can beat that year ever!!! lol

 

[_oBSOLEte_]

This year 2025. We live in the golden age of *gaming*. Accurate emulators for all the relevant consoles, FPGAs and console mods, modders and indies, real talents directly funded by the communities. VR or stereo3D for everything. I never had so many great games available, so many custom maps and songs. And all that while the industry is crashing down, and re-remasters and sloppy AAAs running at 20fps with ray-traced gimmicks are released to feed the gamepass, I'm emulating masterpieces and hidden gems with upscaled graphics in native 4K and glorious CRT shaders.

Never has it felt so good to be obsolete.

 

[Yousef]

Mind if i ask either of y'all what made 2001 special to you?

GTA III, Max Payne, Jak and Daxter, Ace Attorney, MGS2: Sons of Liberty, Onimusha and Smackdown! Just Bring It were all pretty revolutionary. Everything else didn’t matter though.