Top 5 Games From the 1990s

Gaming has come a long way in the past two decades. Back in the day, most gamers had those Chinese knockoffs of the NES with the cartridge claiming to have ten thousand games. From 8 bit games to games having 1:1 scale of real-world places, the gaming industry has seen a lot.

However, no one would deny the fact that we still have fond memories of the games we played back in the day.

While the games back in the day didn't appeal at a graphically realistic level, they still had stellar art styles, and amazing game design and narratives. Some of the games back then are arguably better and more enjoyable than some of the latest ones out there.

Amidst all the PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile hype, we decided to look back at some of the games from the 90s which we loved back in the day, and today as well.

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#5 Wolfenstein 3D

Wolfenstein 3D

Most of the gamers who started playing video games in the 90s or 2000s started their journey with this game. The game was iD Software's second game, and it gave the world a new genre. A genre that revolutionized the gaming industry and was liked by a majority of the gamers around the world.

A genre that paved the way for some excellent titles in the future. Apart from introducing a new genre to the world, Wolfenstein 3D was an excellent game itself. I still remember the adrenaline rushing final boss fight against Hitler.

The built up to the final boss involved a lot of thrilling action sequences with the various enemies in the game, finally leading to Hitler. The game was pretty challenging, and the final boss fight completely pushed that to the next level.

Back in the day, most games were challenging and Wolfenstein 3D was not an exception. But, that's what made it more fun. The rewarding feel one got after taking down Hitler was unparalleled.

#4 Doom

Doom 3D

Carrying the Legacy of Wolfenstein 3D was another masterpiece, Doom. iD Software's success with Wolfenstein 3D pushed them to further break through their limits and take FPS games to the next level. And they managed to do it with Doom.

The original Doom was one of the stress-busting games of all time. Blasting your way through numerous enemies never felt so satisfying as the way iD Software pulled things off.

What made Doom excellent was that it didn't just push the level for FPS games. It set a genre of its own. That pumping soundtrack along with the visceral combat encounters was satisfying, to say the least.

#3 Half Life

Half Life

While Wolfenstein 3D brought a new genre to the game industry, Valve showed the world how an FPS is made. Let's not even talk about the genre. Half-Life was revolutionary in all spheres that define a video game.

Speak about narrative, Half-Life incorporated groundbreaking narrative elements. A prime example of it is the way NPCs are used in the game. The NPCs in the game drop numerous hints throughout the game which guide the players in a number of levels in the game.

If a player is not attentive to them, they'll end up getting stuck. Speak of level design, Half-Life took elements from the predecessors of the genre and took it to a whole new level.

The level design is something which can't be discussed in a few lines. It took inspiration, it undertook innovation and the end product was simply phenomenal.

#2 Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros.

After inventing the genre of platformers with Donkey Kong, Nintendo was striving to do something revolutionary in an industry which was speculated to have a lot of potential.

Nintendo soon launched Mario Bros. However, things changed when Super Mario Bros. came out. It is termed as one of the best games of all time by numerous critics and fans alike.

A major point of appraisal was the game's precise controls. However, that doesn't mean the other aspects of the game weren't excellent. Be it the level design, or the sound, or the art style. Everything was fresh, unique, and couldn't be any better.

#1 Contra

Contra

Another fan favorite of the 90s. Contra was the epitome of side-scrolling shooters. Another really really challenging game but rewarding at the same time, Contra paved the way for future platform shooters.

The game had a lot of mechanics and was way ahead of its gen. A prime example of the fact that the game set benchmarks for future games is the various different guns the game in the form of powerups.

This mechanic paved the way for powerups in future games. What made the game more challenging is that the save game technology wasn't available for any of these games till then. And that made it equally satisfying and fuelled the urge to finish the game.