I’ve did games posts before, the most notable would be Games that made me a gamer and the Old Computer Challenge 2024, but when I saw this idea being posted by orchids, I decided to jump on it like and American on a hamburger. Go ahead and read their roundup post. To easily find games sorted by year, I went to List of years in video games on Wikipedia and browsed the page for each year, starting with my 1985. Some of the screenshots were taken by me, some others were taken from Moby Games because I’m lazy.
1985: Tetris (All platforms and hardware)
This needs no explanation, as anyone of us has played Tetris on a bajillion platforms and devices, but the most iconic one remains the 9999999999 in 1 handheld games that marked my childhood in the early 90s.
1986: Arkanoid (NES)
Although it was a pretty excellent year for games, with titles that went on to become classics, like The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest and Metroid), my favorite from this year has to be Arkanoid. Expanding on the concept of the ball-and-bat concept, bringing power ups and other fun things to the concept. The game was so successful, it created a million of sequels and spinoffs and is one of the games with the most clones out there.
1987: Contra (NES)
Another year with fantastic games, probably one of the best years in gaming, with titles like After Burner, Street Fighter, R-Type, Double Dragon, Castlevania, Dizzy, Mega Man. However, my favourite game, of which I played endless days and nights as a kid, both at home and at the arcades was Contra.
1988: Wasteland (PC)
Although ‘88 was a great year for sequels and spin-offs, there’s truly only one game that I really liked, both for its story and originality, and that is Wasteland.
1989: Prince of Persia (PC)
There’s no way around this. While some awesome games were released in 1989, like SimCity, Prince of Persia is and will remain one of the best games of all time. Funny how it was released initially for the Apple II and the other ports turned this into a hit. The Solitaire and Minesweeper games that became bundled with Windows 3.0 and onwards, were also written in ‘89.
1990: Dr. Mario (NES)
The year that brought The Secret of Monkey Island and Final Fantasy also brought one of my favourite NES games, Doctor Mario! With a similar mechanic to Tetris and was the first game that everyone in the family enjoyed playing.
1991: Street Figher II (Arcade)
Although a sequel and released the same year as Lemmings, Sid Meier’s Civilization, Neverwinter Nights or Road Rash, the main game of the year was definitely Street Fighter II. It became extremely popular and is considered the grandfather of the fighting game genre. A classic nevertheless that I spend countless days playing at the arcade, with its iconic combos, settings and players.
1992: Wolfenstein 3D (PC)
This year brought Mortal Kombat to the gaming world, as well as Virtua Racing and a Terminator game. But nothing would prepare the world for Wolfenstein 3D, one of the first first-person shooters where you’re on the mission of saving the world by literally killing all the nazis using a knife and a variety of guns.
1993: Doom (PC)
NBA Jam was one of the first sports games with official licensed teams and players, becoming a cult classic. Also Mortal Kombat II was released this year, along with Myst, and Disney’s Aladdin, which many of my friends played a lot as kids. But the most important was Doom, the insanely great iteration over the previous year’s Wolfenstein 3D shooter, one of the best shooters of all time, and maybe even games.
1994: Warcraft: Orcs & Humans (PC)
Heretic, Tekken, Doom II, or Earthworm Jim, The Need for Speed are notable titles, but the title of the year is definitely the first instalment in the Warcraft universe. Focusing on the Orc invasion on Azeroth, the game was a pioneer in the real-time strategy genre, as it focused a lot on its multiplayer capabilities, as well as adopting innovative game design elements.
1995: Worms (PC)
Chrono Trigger for the SNES, Mortal Kombat 3 everywhere, Tekken II, Rayman, Warcraft II and Virtua Fighter II are among the best games ever released, but the featured game of this year is Worms. It’s insane, raunchy, violent, annoying, and a beautiful mess that triggered a ton of sequels.
1996: Quake
Pokémon Red and Green was released for the GameBoy, Resident Evil had its first instalment, Crash Bandicoot was out and also Super Mario 3D went ouyt. But the best one was Quake, a game that would set the foundation for the shooter genre and become a cult classic.
1997: Diablo (PC)
On another iconic year for the game industry, ‘97 brought us Final Fantasy VII, Need for Speed II and its competitor Gran Turismo, as well as Age of Empires, Carmageddon, Grand Theft Auto, Fallout and Mortal Kombat 4. Quake II was another immense game, setting the trend for awesome LAN multiplayer parties. But the star of the year remains another Blizzard release, Diablo. The game is one of the best RPGs of its age and it created some really nice sequels.
1998: Half-Life (PC)
FIFA 99, Delta Force, Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, Caesar III, were released, as well as the strategy legendary game Starcraft, and its expansion: Brood War. However, the biggest game of the year, and most likely of the 20th century was Half-Life. Spending countless hours doing the campaign and following the story of Gordon Freeman could only be topped by the multiplayer experience.
1999: Homeworld (PC)
Super Smash Bros, Unreal Tournament, Hony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Soulcalibur, Age of Empires II, Medal of Honor, Heroes of Might and Magic III (which to some is the best game ever released), Re-Volt, Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun, Pharaoh, FIFA 2000 were all release in 1999. What a time to be alive! But the best of all? Without a doubt one of the best strategy games ever made, with an amazing gameplay and a wonderful back story: Homeworld.
2000: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 (PC)
At the turn of the millennium, the gaming industry was at its finest, releasing games that weren’t only cash grabs and that people still hold in very high regards, like Diablo II, Final Fantasy IX, Baldur’s Gate II, Daikatana, Quake III Arena, Counter-Strike and Star Wars Episode I: Racer. But the most important for me was definitely the Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 game. Officially one of my all time favourites, I’ve spent hundreds of days and nights playing this lovely game, both in wonderful multiplayer parties (where you could ally any way you want in groups of 8) and doing the single player campaign as well. Also having live-action cinematic movies made it so much better.
2001: Grand Theft Auto III (PC)
Pro Evolution Soccer, Black & White, Devil May Cry, Serious Sam, IL-2 Sturmovik, and Bejeweld were released back in 2001, and one of the best games out there was Max Payne. There was also the first Harry Potter game (the PC one, not the Playstation variant), of which I’ve spoken about in my OCC post a while back. However, my favourite game from 2001 is definitely Grand Theft Auto III. There’s not much to say about it that hasn’t been said before.
2002: Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (PC)
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Dungeon Siege, Mafia, Ratchet & Clank, Splinter Cell, Metroid Prime and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker as well as GTA: Vice City were among the best games of 2002, but the main title of 2002 was Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Applying the lessons learned with Starcraft, Blizzard released an iconic game that is still played to the day.
The following year, the expansion pack The Frozen Throne, which continues the story of Reign of Chaos and carries us further into the story and fate of Arthas Menethil, was released with great success.
2003: Need for Speed: Underground (PC)
Although 2003 brought with it a lot of new games, I think I played only one game and that was Need for Speed: Underground. Bringing a lot of customizations and tuning to an already great roster of cars, along with a banging soundtrack.
2004: World of Warcraft (PC)
GTA: San Andreas, Half-Life 2, Unreal Tournament 2024, Gran Turismo 4, NFS Underground 2 are some of the best ‘04 games I’ve played, but the best game of them all is one I didn’t even start to play until 2019, World of Warcraft and is currently the game I’ve played the most.
posts tagged “World of Warcraft”
2005: Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (PlayStation 2)
Forza Motorsport, Guitar Hero, Quake 4 and God of War were some of the most popular games in 2005 and I’ve played none of them. The one I played, and quite a lot was Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, especially for the single player and co-op story modes, but also for the womk-bonk-slap-pew fighting in the versus mode.
2006: Garry’s Mod (PC)
It might have been another good year for Valve, with their release of Half-Life 2: Episode one, but the top spot goes definitely to the chaotic and beautiful Garry’s Mod physics sandbox takes the cake for being not only fun and funny, but also very entertaining.
2007: Portal (Xbox 360, Mac)
There might have been many great games released in 2007, but Portal was so damn good it stands out on its own. Running on the same platform as Half-Life 2, it’s fun story and setting along with the brilliant puzzles make this one of the best games of all time.
2008: Mirror’s Edge (Xbox 360)
GTA IV, LittleBigPlanet, Spore, Assassin’s Creed were released this year. The most interesting for me was Mirror’s Edge, which astounded for its innovative game mechanic, where time moves only when you do.
2009: Plants vs. Zombies (Mac, iOS)
In the ocean of sequels, prequels and established franchises, the best game of the year was a new title: Plants vs. Zombies. Combining tower defense with funny characters and a fun storyline, you must kill the zombie horde for hours of cartoon fun.
2010: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (Mac)
The long awaited sequel to the StarCraft saga, Wings of Liberty focuses on the Terran side of the war and is a great strategy game, which was continued in the following years.
2011: Limbo (Mac)
Portal 2 was one of the greatest games of all times (and still is), but I chose to feature for this year one of the first small house “indie” game: Limbo. A puzzle platformer with horror elements, with a story that nicely unfolds, with a dark and sometimes scary level design.
2012: Diablo III (Xbox 360, Xbox One, Mac)
Twelve years after Diablo II, the third part was released and, boy, did we have some fun with this! Initially downloaded the demo, because I was curious on how the game would feel on an Xbox, I quickly finished the first act and I was throwing money at the screen to get the full version.
On the mobile front, Candy Crush was released, so lol.
2013: Injustice: Gods Among Us (Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Major releases were: GTA V (which I played in 2021 a bit), The Last Of Us (which I haven’t touched yet), Dota 2 (which I won’t ever play). But probably the game that I played the most was Injustice: Gods Among Us, especially since I used to do endless play sessions with my house mates on the Xbox 360.
On mobile, a worthy mention is Flappy Bird, the game that broke phones, minds and the internet.
2014: Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox 360, Xbox One)
South Park: The Stick of Truth gets a solid mention, but in 2014, Forza Horizon 2 was released. The second title of the spin-off franchise, it brings an astonishing number of cars and open world racing on the French Riviera. The franchise is now at number 5 and they’re getting better and prettier with each iteration
2015: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Xbox One)
Mortal Kombat X, Ori and the Blind Forest, as well as the ending chapter StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void were some really nice titles from 2015 that I played, but the cake goes definitely to Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. Received as a birthday present from some friends because it was set in 1800’s London, I quickly fell in love with the game, and is one of the few games where I have 100% completion.
2016: Firewatch (PC)
Forza Horizon 3 was released and it was a beauty, and I also played some Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, the great indie title Oxenfree, but the best one in 2016 is Firewatch. The storytelling, mood, soundtrack and voice acting are so well done, it’s a title I always recommend to anyone.
Firewatch > a half-assed review
2017: Forza Motorsport 7 (Xbox One)
This year brought The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn, two titles that I still want to play to this day (when I’ll have the time). Nier: Automata was cool, but not really my style of game, also Cuphead is a nice title that I should start playing someday. Another title that I played a lot was Assassin’s Creed: Origins, but the gameplay changes from Syndicate made it a bit meh. I liked it, I didn’t love it.
Going back to racing cars, the most played game, and probably my favorite so far is Forza Motorsport 7. With a ton of cars and a nice storyline that makes you progress over a few decades of motor racing, this is one of the best simulators out there. I also loved the Prague street circuit. I also loved getting the Vauxhall Astra around the Dunsfold Top Gear track to try to beat the Stig’s record. Fat chance.
2018: Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox One)
In a year where God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2 were everywhere, I had the audacity to play a lot the fourth Forza Horizon, enjoying the nice races and the beautiful landscapes. A notable mention is Unravel Two (and its predecessor, as well!)
2019: Dawn of Man (Mac)
This is a brilliant little game, a village simulator, where you need to micromanage everything, from resources to activities, to shelters, while making sure the raiders don’t mess you up, or that a mammoth won’t nuke your town. I also started to play World of Warcraft this year, and it limited a lot my time of playing other things.
2020: Immortals Fenyx Rising (Xbox One)
In a ton of remakes and reboots, one title stands off above all, and its name is Immortals Fenyx Rising. Also received as a gift, also produced by Ubisoft (like AC), this has a cartoonish, fun, funny vibe, with nice combat and great open world locations, and it looks like Legend of Zelda and Assassin’s Creed made a very fun, smart and beautiful baby.
Another good mention is Ori and the Will of the Wisps, the continuation of the 2015 hit, while another banger is Wasteland 3, but I haven’t played it yet, so that might be awesome too.
Immortals Fenyx Rising > a half-assed review
2021: Forza Horizon 5 (Xbox One, PC)
Forza Horizon 5 is out and I played it quite extensively. At this point I’m already elbows deep into World of Warcraft, so I wasn’t too much up to date with the other titles being launched, except for It Takes Two, that I have to play someday.
Forza Horizon 5 > a half-assed review
2022: Stray (Steamdeck)
You’re a cat lost in a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk city and you need to find your way back home. There’s not much needed to say about this game, it’s just brilliant. Tunic is a second favorite, another strong indie game.
2023: Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (Steamdeck)
It was the year of indies, and Oxenfree II adds to the story of the first part in a very nice way, being one of the best titles of 2023, among a ton of shit AAA remakes and remasters. Good solid mentions are the Sven reboot and the prequel of the atmospheric Tails.
OXENFREE II: Lost Signals > a half-assed review
2024: The WereCleaner (Steamdeck)
There are still three months left of this year and so far I’ve played a few games released this year that really caught my eye. Homeworld 3 was pretty disappointing, while it looked nice, the story was kinda bad. The Cub was definitely a highlight of the year, a nice platformer based on Golf Club Nostalgia. But the best game of the year so far has to be this little fun little game, called The WereCleaner. It’s funny and entertaining and free
