The 16 Best Years in Gaming History

The Video Game Crash of 1983 (which sounds way cooler in Japan as it holds the moniker of the "Atari Shock") greatly impacted the once-great sales of the industry as a whole. A glut of terrible releases made by Atari and even non-gaming companies led to retail stores & purchasers of those products turning their backs on a once-thriving industry. Fast forward to 1985 and things picked back up immensely thanks to the Trojan Horse known as the Nintendo Entertainment System, which launched on October 18th of that year. And with that console came the groundbreaking platformer centered around that famous plumber, Super Mario Bros.

Excitebike also provided NES owners with another killer app that deserves its modern-day flowers. In the crowded arcades at this time, gamers had several top-quality options to pour their quarters into. Yie Ar Kung-Fu provided the foundation for fighting games, Hang-On provided a monumental motorbike racer with 16-bit visuals, and Commando & Gauntlet delivered their own brand of fast-paced action from a top-down perspective. Space Harrier, Gradius, and Ghosts 'n Goblins are also responsible for keeping arcade operators more than satisfied with their earnings.

The Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and PC owners had plenty of titles available to them that still stand the test of time. Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Streets of Rage 2, and World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck launched in 1992 as the Genesis' most must-have releases. Over on the SNES, Super Mario Kart, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse, and Contra III: The Alien Wars continued pushing the 16-bit era of gaming to new heights.

PC enthusiasts certainly stayed busy with revered games such as Wolfenstein 3D, Indiana Jones and the Fate of the Atlantis, Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, and Alone in the Dark. The most monumental gaming event of 1992 is undoubtedly the arcade debut of Mortal Kombat, which gave Street Fighter II a competitive rival to be compared against, kept arcades packed & busier than ever, and worried parents of young gamers everywhere due to the fighter's intense levels of photorealistic blood & gore.

3D polygonal gaming was already in full swing by the time 1996 rolled around. But the arrival of the Nintendo 64 truly kicked things up a notch and welcomed gamers to the wide & wonderful world of 32-bit graphics. Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, and Wave Race 64 made headlines as the N64's biggest releases of 1996. The Sony PlayStation had its fair share of amazing titles as well - Crash Bandicoot, Twisted Metal 2, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, and Destruction Derby 2 are held up high as the console's major titles of the year.

SNES owners were still treated to a bunch of games that helped send out Nintendo's 16-bit out on a high note - Super Mario RPG, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, and Kirby Super Star made it abundantly clear that the SNES was meant to go out with a bang. The Sega Saturn held down the fort with a hell of a strong lineup in 1996 thanks to Nights into Dreams, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei, and Guardian Heroes. The other notable game releases of 1996 that deserve mentioning here include Die Hard Arcade, Duke Nukem 3D, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Civilization II, and Street Fighter Alpha 2. 2D and 3D gaming were both going strong through the entirety of 1996.

When we say gamers were eating well in 1997, we mean they were feasting on a plentiful buffet of amazing releases. The PlayStation maintained its top spot as the home console destination for many thanks to the likes of Final Fantasy VII, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, and Tomb Raider II. The Sega Saturn enjoyed many of those aforementioned games while also pushing forth memorable titles in the form of Mega Man X4 and Fighters Megamix.

The N64 enjoyed one of its strongest years during its unforgettable lifecycle - GoldenEye 007 & Turok: Dinosaur Hunter revolutionized first-person shooters for home consoles, Star Fox 64 produced one of the best flight shooters of all time, and Diddy Kong Racing offered one of the best content offerings for a kart racer. PC gamers were overwhelmed with gaming greatness as a slew of games that are considered some of the best representations of its genre launched in 1996 - Fallout, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, Age of Empires, Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, Quake 2, and Ultima Online point to just how true of a statement that is.

Sit in a group full of gamers who have been doing this thing for a good while now and they'll most likely blurt out a bunch of games that launched in 1998. The PS1 was firing on all cylinders that year with a collection of games that kept it firmly placed in the #1 spot - Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Tekken 3, Spyro the Dragon, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Gran Turismo, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, Final Fantasy Tactics, Xenogears, Parasite Eve, Mega Man Legends, and Suikoden II are the titles most remembered for the console from this tremendous year.

Not to be outdone by the competition, the N64 stayed strong in the video game arms race of 1998 with the following releases - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Banjo-Kazooie, F-Zero X, 1080° Snowboarding, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil. Even though the Sega Saturn was on its last legs by this point in time, Panzer Dragoon Saga launched as one of the final shining beacons of that criminally slept-on console.

Over on PC, a host of iconic FPS, strategy, point-and-click adventure, and RPG games ruled the roost thanks to the following juggernaut releases - Half-Life, StarCraft, Fallout 2, Baldur's Gate, Thief: The Dark Project, Grim Fandango, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. Last but not least, the monster-catching phenomenon that moved Game Boy and Game Boy Color units by the millions came out in 1998 and became one of the hottest items that every parent was asked for around Christmas time - Pokémon Red and Blue.

9/9/99. That month, day, and year combine to elicit warm feelings of nostalgia from diehard Sega fans in the States. That's because that day marks the launch date of the Sega Dreamcast in North America. And on that same day, gamers lucky enough to pick up one were treated to one of the greatest library of launch games of all time. Sonic Adventure, Soulcalibur, The House of the Dead 2, Hydro Thunder, NFL 2K, Power Stone, and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing make up the collection of Dreamcast launch day games that will always be remembered fondly.

The PS1 still held on strong as a viable option for console owners - Final Fantasy VIII, Crash Team Racing, Syphon Filter, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Silent Hill, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Ape Escape, and Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete point to Sony's first console not running out of steam in 1999. The N64 also continued holding its own against its home console rivals with the releases of Super Smash Bros., Mario Party, Donkey Kong 64, and Jet Force Gemini.

The PC gaming contingent certainly had their hands full with their own compilation of games that made 1999 a generous year for them all - the debuts of System Shock 2, Unreal Tournament, RollerCoaster Tycoon, Heroes of Might and Magic III are proof positive that PC gaming was definitely at an all-time high in 1999. And while it wasn't recognized as such during its May 12, 1999 arcade launch, one of the greatest fighting games of all time in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike graced gamers' presence this year.

After the world all dodged the terrifying threat of a global shutdown due to Y2K, we all rejoiced as the millennium brought us into a new year full of excitement. For gamers, they were overwhelmed with so many amazing games to play as the year 2000 rolled along. Having too many games to play is a first-world problem, but it's always one of the best problems one can have. Fans of handheld gaming got another serving of refined "Pocket Monster" adventures on the Game Boy Color thanks to the combined greatness of Pokémon Gold and Silver.

Dreamcast owners in the States were experiencing gaming bliss of their own this year as their console was blessed with Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Resident Evil – Code: Veronica, Skies of Arcadia, NFL 2K1, and the super quirky rhythm game Space Channel 5. The PS1 lifecycle continued as 2000 brought with it another compilation of top-tier releases including Final Fantasy IX, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, Spyro: Year of the Dragon, Vagrant Story, Chrono Cross, and Mega Man Legends 2. Over on the N64 side, wrestling fans got to play one of the best wrestling games ever made with the release of WWF No Mercy. Plus additional bangers, such as The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Perfect Dark, Banjo-Tooie, and Paper Mario, kept the N64 alive and kicking.

If you were primarily addicted to playing games on your high-powered PC in 2000, you were swimming in a sea of must-have games. Those great games are definitely the likes of Diablo II, Deus Ex, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, The Sims, Thief II, and Counter-Strike. Before we forget, we have to shine a light on the October 26, 2000, launch of the PS2, which many consider to be one of the best gaming consoles ever made. Home console gamers, fans of handheld gaming, and PC owners didn't have to look far or too long in the year 2000 for worthwhile experiences.

2001 gave the PS2 two worthy competitors - those newly installed rivals were Nintendo's cute little purple box of wonder, the GameCube, and Microsoft's initial foray into home console gaming via the original Xbox. The GameCube's launch title offerings were solid enough thanks to the presence of Luigi's Mansion, Super Monkey Ball, and Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II.

Later in the year, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Pikmin gave GameCube owners two more reasons to brag about their latest purchase. The Nintendo 64 received one of its final smash hits with the outlandish platformer catered to adult sensibilities, Conker's Bad Fur Day. The very first Xbox surely pleased fighting game fans with the launch title Dead or Alive 3. But it was Halo: Combat Evolved that emerged as arguably the game of the year and the competitive multiplayer standout that gave Microsoft's first console a fighting chance in 2001 and beyond.

Another gaming machine that saw its introduction to the world in 2001 was the Game Boy Advance, which launched alongside the following top-tier games - Super Mario Advance, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Fire Pro Wrestling, and a better-than-expected port of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. In the months afterward, the GBA software library expanded to feature even more substantial titles, such as Golden Sun, Advance Wars, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit. Even the Game Boy Color received some attention with the release of Wario Land 4 and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages.

On a sadder note, the Dreamcast was nearing its end. But thankfully, Dreamcast owners got to bask in its last hurrahs via Sonic Adventure 2, Phantasy Star Online, and NBA 2K2. The PS2 started gaining steam in 2001 with a bevy of bonafide classics, such as the groundbreaking release of Grand Theft Auto III, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Final Fantasy X, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Devil May Cry, Onimusha: Warlords, Ico, Twisted Metal: Black, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, Zone of the Enders, and SSX Tricky.

Last but not least, the PC gaming space was awash with the sort of games worth bragging about - Max Payne, Aliens Versus Predator 2, Black & White, and Clive Barker's Undying. If you were around all those gaming goodness in 2001, we're sure your grades suffered since all of your favorites took precedence over finishing your homework.

The PS2, GameCube, and Xbox all showcased the very best of the gaming industry and convinced even non-gamers to take the plunge in the year 2002. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Ratchet & Clank, Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny, Kingdom Hearts, Red Faction II, Medal of Honor: Frontline, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, and Suikoden III held down the fort for Sony's black box of excellence. The GameCube pushed forth its own brand of illustrious titles via Metroid Prime, Super Mario Sunshine, Eternal Darkness, and the outstanding remake of the first Resident Evil. As for the Xbox, owners of that machine were graced with the likes of Jet Set Radio Future, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, MechAssault, and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. On the handheld side of things, the GBA gave Samus Aran some time to shine via Metroid Fusion.

Third-party publishers/developers were on such a roll in 2002 as they threw out some of the best games of the year across all three home consoles. Madden NFL 2003, NFL 2K3, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 provided sports fans with worthwhile experiences. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance successfully pushed one of the revered fighting game IPs into the realm of 3D. The licensed games that dropped in 2002 were shockingly not terrible, too - the Spider-Man game based on the 2002 film, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, and The Thing point to that sentiment ringing true.

Add on the likes of Neverwinter Nights, Burnout 2: Point of Impact, Dungeon Siege, TimeSplitters 2, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, etc. and you have further proof that 2002 holds weight among old-head gamers as another one of the best years in gaming.

2004 always gets the right to enter the argument for being one of the best years in gaming thanks to the abundance of sequels that were released in quick succession as the year unfolded. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Halo 2, Half-Life 2, Burnout 3: Takedown, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Spider-Man 2, Def Jam: Fight for NY, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow showcased their respective IPs in the brightest of lights. Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, Need for Speed: Underground 2, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, Rome: Total War, and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door also continued the 2004 trend of amazing follow-ups worth considering.

Original IPs and licensed games that got their first forays also littered the software libraries of numerous consoles during this eventful year. Far Cry, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, Fable, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth, Katamari Damacy, and The Suffering all supplied gamers with several more meaningful titles that just couldn't be missed.

There's no doubt in anyone's mind that gaming as a whole in 2005 was defined by a singular game that changed third-person shooters and survival horror games forever - Resident Evil 4. First coming to the GameCube, the action-packed crusade starring Leon S. Kennedy followed him as he fought against a village full of cultists empowered by a lethal parasite. To the surprise of many, it made waves and emerged as the game to beat in 2005. Other Game of the Year contenders that place this year on a pedestal as another one of the best years in gaming include God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Devil May Cry 3, and King Kong (the game based on the film that dropped in 2005).

On November 22, 2005, Microsoft dropped the console successor that defined its early dominance over the PS3 as the place to enjoy online gaming and some of the best first-party games ever released. Call of Duty 2 actually dropped earlier in the year on PC first, but it took off even more as a launch title for the Xbox 360. Debates ensued this year over which military-themed first-person shooter was truly the one to play thanks to the release of Battlefield 2 (we were just happy to have two great FPS games that offered solid online play!).

2005 was littered with plenty of other stellar titles, which happen to be The Warriors, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Civilization IV, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Kingdom Hearts II, F.E.A.R., and the original Star Wars: Battlefront II.

After launching in 2006, the PS3 stood right next to the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii to cement itself as the top contender for the best console of the seventh generation of video game consoles. Sony's third home console garnered some much-needed love and attention thanks to the 2007 action-adventure game that gave the PS3 one of its first major mascots, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction also stepped up to give the PS3 another 2007 highlight.

Not to be outdone by the PS3, the Xbox 360 kept its winning streak intact thanks to the releases of Halo 3, Crackdown, BioShock, and Mass Effect. Over on the motion-controlled smash hit the Nintendo Wii, their owners got to experience the company's usual brand of platforming magic through Super Mario Galaxy. Those same Wii owners got to keep the galaxy safe once again via Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

Do you guys and gals know what's really crazy, though? The PS2 breathed one last breath of victory as arguably the best game of the year launched on it. Of course, we're alluding to God of War II! Kratos made his welcome return in a bid to make the trip to Mount Olympus - accomplishing that goal resulted in a game full of even more epic boss fights, mind-blowing plot revelations, and a hell of a cliffhanger that made everyone excited for the third game in the franchise.

The Orange Box's Portal, Team Fortress 2, and Half-Life 2: Episode Two ended up being another 2007 gaming highlight that pointed to Valve's previous life as one of the top gaming publishers/developers of the 2000s. Some of the other big releases of 2007 include Crysis, Rock Band, Assassin's Creed, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, The Witcher, Skate, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

Being a PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii owner in 2009 led to a life of bliss. That's because all three consoles gave their respective fanboys a ton of reasons to brag about just how stronger their console of choice was in comparison to its home console competitors. Over on the PS3, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Killzone 2, and Infamous gave Sony's big black box of awesomeness three top-tier AAA titles worth getting the console for. Demon's Souls also launched as a PS3 exclusive in 2009 and gave birth to the "Soulslike" sub-genre of action RPGs while injecting a sense of old-school difficulty that veteran gamers were thankful to see make its return.

The Xbox 360 certainly held its own via the 2009 releases of Halo 3: ODST, Shadow Complex, and Left 4 Dead 2. As for the Wii, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Punch-Out!!, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Scribblenauts, and the depressingly overlooked MadWorld added more masterpieces to the console's software library. Once you take a look at the third-party bangers that graced the entirety of 2009, your jaw will hit the floor as you remember how much you enjoyed life as you played the following games to death - Batman: Arkham Asylum, Resident Evil 5, Assassin's Creed II, Left 4 Dead 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Borderlands, Street Fighter IV, Red Faction: Guerrilla, Skate 2, Minecraft, Dragon Age: Origins, The Sims 3, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (which is actually way better than the movie it's based on!).

2013 can be broken down by three of the biggest launches in gaming history - Grand Theft Auto V, the PS4, and the Xbox One. Rockstar Games' mainstream gaming blockbuster took over the world via its fifth mainline series entry, ended up getting featured on three generations of home consoles, and still brings in millions of players thanks to its mega-popular GTA Online component. It will forever blow our minds that the PS4 and Xbox One launched only a week apart from each other!

The introduction of those two new consoles didn't mark the end of the PS3 and Xbox 360's runs, however. 2013's premiere games did a commendable job of keeping those consoles alive and well. Those games happen to be BioShock Infinite, DmC: Devil May Cry, Saints Row IV, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Rayman Legends, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Metro: Last Light, and the Tomb Raider reboot. When it comes to exclusives, the PS3, the Wii U, the 3DS, and the PC platforms got plenty of time in the sun due to their combined first-party output across 2013.

The Last of Us helped the PS3 go out with a bang via one of the most emotional and masterfully constructed action-adventure games Naughty Dog has ever produced. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch also landed on the PS3 as an exclusive in 2013 and gave JRPG lovers a wonderful Studio Ghibli-animated adventure worth playing. The Wii U may not have had the best run during its lifecycle, but it still put out must-play titles in 2013 via Super Mario 3D World and Pikmin 3. The 3DS kept RPG and action-adventure fans quite busy thanks to the releases of Pokémon X & Y, Fire Emblem Awakening, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

Last but certainly not least, the following PC exclusives defied expectations and told great stories that deeply affected everyone who experienced them - The Stanley Parable, Gone Home, and Antichamber.

With the home console triple threat of the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch firmly in place, 2017 established itself as one of those years that made it so damn fun to own one or all of those machines. Speaking of the Switch, it actually landed in stores across North America and beyond on March 3, 2017. On the launch games front, newfound owners of Nintendo's home/portable hybrid machine got to enjoy The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on day one. As 2017 rolled on, major releases for the Switch went on to include Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, ARMS, and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

The PS4 basked in the greatness of exclusive games that gave the house of Sony Interactive Entertainment quality new IPs and sequels to further strengthen its roster, which include Horizon Zero Dawn and Gravity Rush 2. Now the games that garnered the most attention from critics and gaming hobbyists alike come from third-party publishers/developers. Those games are undoubtedly Fortnite, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Nier: Automata, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Persona 5, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Cuphead, Assassin's Creed Origins, and XCOM 2: War of the Chosen.

2017 also blessed console owners and PC players with even more memorable releases, such as The Evil Within 2, South Park: The Fractured but Whole, Divinity: Original Sin II, Sonic Mania, Injustice 2, Hollow Knight, and What Remains of Edith Finch. Even Nintendo 3DS owners were treated to a major gaming highlight of 2017 due to the release of Metroid: Samus Returns, a highly loaded remake of the 1991 Game Boy game Metroid II: Return of Samus.

2023 has quickly cemented itself among the best years in gaming thanks to a staggering amount of great games that have caused gamers everywhere to develop a hell of a backlog. Many of the biggest franchises that have been around for decades stayed in the public eye with brand-new series entries that have received top accolades - of course, we're alluding to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, Diablo IV, and Final Fantasy XVI. On the topic of remakes, two classic survival horror greats got a new coat of paint - Dead Space and Resident Evil 4.

Without a doubt, the game that has been seen the most on gamers' timelines and maintained its popularity well after its initial debut is Baldur's Gate 3. Folks just can't seem to get enough of all the sexy time situations that break out in that game alongside the near-limitless array of possibilities attached to its storyline and turn-based combat scenarios. Some other noteworthy 2023 releases include the surprise hit Hi-Fi RUSH, the ultimate Harry Potter simulator Hogwarts Legacy, FromSoftware's latest triumph Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, Bethesda's space epic Starfield, the "Soulslike" gem Lies of P, and the amazing ode to classic 16-bit RPGs Sea of Stars.

The closing months of 2023 kept on adding to that year's pile of greatness on behalf of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake II, Super Mario RPG, and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. 2023 deserves a whole heap of recognition for being a marvelous year for gaming.