Summary
After spending most of the 1980s finding its footing after rebounding from a near-fatal crash, video games felt like they were in a unique place. The 1990s was a decade built on counterculture and a sense of attitude that felt wholly unique, so it was no surprise that video games followed suit.
The 90s were filled with technological innovations, sweeping changes in the culture and business of video games, as well as launches of some of the most important pieces of hardware andsoftware of all time. It was heavily impacted by the previous year but had an even greater influence on the years to come.
1Doom And Wolfenstein Create The Modern First-Person Shooter
Iconic PC Titles Set The Standard For One Of Gaming’s Most Popular Genres
Although the first-person perspective had been seen previously in games likeBattlezoneandMaze War, the modern first-person shooter as fans know it hadn’t been fully created yet. It wasn’t until id Software, with John Carmack and John Romero at the helm, createdWolfenstein 3Din 1992 that it came into existence and followed shortlybyDoomin 1993.
These two games were crucial to both inventing the first-person shooter genre and changing the way games were played moving forward. Dozens ofDoomclones flooded the market, as these two titles paved the way for custom levels made by players and inspired the likes ofHalf-Life,Turok, andStar Wars: Dark Forces.
Controversial Video Games Give Birth To The Ratings Board
As the 1990s began to show just how different this generation of games was going to be, it was still something of a Wild West. Games likeDoom,Duke Nukem, andNight Trapwere releasing their bloody and violent content. Meanwhile,Mortal Kombatwas causing controversy because ofits over-the-top violenceand fatalities.
Both Mortal Kombat and Night Trap were at the epicenter of the United States Senate Hearing on Video Games, where the earliest formation of a rating board began. This ultimately led to the creation of the ESRB, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.
3Sony Enters Video Games And Challenges Nintendo
Sony And Nintendo Challenge Each Other For 90s Dominance
Beginning as a joint venture between Nintendo and tech giant Sony, the initial goal was to create a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo. But after Nintendo opted out of what they felt was an unfair contract, Sony called it “the greatest ever betrayal” and put their own console into development. They launched the Sony PlayStation in September 1995, competing directly with the Nintendo 64 that would launch a year later.
By this time, the Sega and Nintendo rivalry had cooled down and it was all about the PS1 vs the N64. PS1 titles likeResident Evil,Metal Gear Solid, andFinal Fantasy 7clashed with N64 blockbustersOcarina of Time,Mario 64, andGoldenEye. The competition was fierce but it led to the creation of some ofthe industry’s best games.
4CD-Based Gaming Changes The Industry
Increased Storage Space Allows For Revolutionary Games
While the 80s and early 90s were built around a catalog of amazing 2D platformers and RPGs, the industry was about to change in ways that no one could understand. Cartridges were great, but the limited storage capacity was something of a detriment for games that wanted to step out of the bounds of two-dimensional play.
So when games started to make the transition from carts to discs, it changedeverything about the industry. Suddenly, storage space was a non-issue and games could do more than ever. Voice acting and large-scale, gorgeously animated cutscenes became one of the staples of 90s games. It allowed titles likeMetal Gear SolidandFinal Fantasy 7to flourish and become icons.
5Final Fantasy Forgoes Nintendo For Sony
Square Finds New Home For Franchise Amid Dispute With Nintendo
For the first six entries, theFinal Fantasyfranchise called Nintendo’s platforms home. Through two console generations and six incredible RPGs, Squaresoft had cultivated a great relationship with Nintendo. But as series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi sought to create something more expansive, things had to change. Following a dispute with Nintendo over the price of N64 carts and a growing 3D market, Square took the series elsewhere and launchedFinal Fantasy 7on the PlayStation in 1997.
Becoming one of the most popular games of the 1990s,Final Fantasy 7not only took the series in a bold new direction, it also influenced a host of games that were trying to capitalize on its success. Children and teenagers of the decade became obsessed with JRPGs, a phenomenon that continues to this day asFF7is once again back in the spotlight and the genre is asstrong as it has ever been.
6The Arcades Experience A Rebirth
A Stable Of Popular Titles Helped Revitalize The Arcades
As the golden age of arcades began to wither away in the 1980s, it wasn’t exactly flush with confidence as the decade began. But when the 90s rolled around with its focus on counterculture and attitude, the arcades started to show signs of life. By appealing to the young crowd of the era, arcade games began to reflect the times they were living in.
Due to an influx of both new 3D technology and a collection of some ofthe best games of the decade, arcades started to experience a revolution. Sega was at the forefront once more, as the release of the Model 2 was a game changer that saw the likes ofVirtua Fighter,Daytona USAandDynamite Copshowed that arcades were on their way back to the top.
7Resident Evil Creates An Entirely New Genre
Capcom Solidifies The Survival Horror Genre
Horror gaming is one of the industry’s most popular staples these days, but among the many sub-genres that exist within that spectrum,it wasResident Evilin 1996that codified one of the most intriguing - survival horror. This blend of action, horror, and survival was one of the decade’s best games and jumpstarted a genre that is still being refined to this day.
Its schlock horror vibe is bested only by its unique mix of an unintentionally funny script, questionable line readings, and 90s action movie energy. It was a game that inspired the likes ofSilent HillandParasite Eve, as well as becoming one of indie gaming’s most popular offshoots. In terms of games that may have defined the 90s and a large section of the industry moving forward,Resident Evilsits at the top.
