The Ten Greatest Years in Gaming

Ground Glass writes "Next Generation has posted an abbreviated version of gaming's history by only chronicling the high points - the ten best years in the history of the medium. While it doesn't cover 1998 (and therefore forgets the birthdays of Half-Life, Starcraft, and Zelda: Ocarina of Time), most of the memorable moments are there. What was your best year for gaming?"

Comments

1993-1994

[unity100]

Those were the best years. Innovation, new ideas, great titles, content, gameplay were king. Star Control 2, Indiana Jones and the fate of atlantis, Aces Of Pacific, and many more.

Re:1993-1994

[Sepper]

What about Star Control 2 ? Did you miss it ?

I really missed it... That why i've installed it: http://sc2.sourceforge.net/

don't forget to *enjoy the sauce*!

Re:Link dead already

[Robmonster]

http://www.mirrordot.com/stories/222733443c847e741 a8f3b197b4aa059/index.html

Slashdotted, here's a full mirror

[bcat24]

Wow, that was quick! Anyway, here's a full mirror of the one-page printable version.

Re:Link dead already

[pneumatus]

Corel Cache version also available here

Re:Civ I and II

[Ubergrendle]

The early 1990s were clearly the best for innovation and gaming, on ALL platforms -- but particularly the PC.

SimCity. Civilization I and II. Masters of Orion. Panzer General. X-Com. Wing Commander, Ultima 6 & 7. Doom. Tie Fighter. Dune 2. Warcraft. Not only were these games are very playable, but they defined genres unto themselves. The height of creativity.

Most games today are incremental improvements upon those original gems. I am disappointed with the lack of solid turn-based games in recent years (Advance Wars on the DS notwithstanding), but most of the rest of those genres are doing well -- FPSes, RTSes, first person RPGs, etc.

You've got it backwards

[Mr. Samuel]

The original Metal Gear Solid was already kind of silly - intentionally so. It did everything it could to break the fourth wall and force its audience to notice how absurd it was. The problem was, nobody noticed; the existing gaming audience simply accepted the game at face value and thought it was awesome. For his sequel, therefore, Kojima simply turned up the heat. He put the player in the role of an effete, emasculated "gamer" who yearns to meet up with Snake. He put far more polygons than necessary into Snake's buttocks. He put Snake in a questionable relationship with his scientific advisor Otacon, and turned Otacon into a complete weirdo. Fans screamed bloody murder and stormed out of the building. Kojima began to attract a completely new base of fans.

Uh, I'm sorry? The original offered great characters, (quality) Hollywood action movie story telling, and polished gameplay. The game is actually quite immersive (the only breaking of the "fourth wall" I can think of was the second controller trick for Psycho Mantis).

MGS2, on the other hand, was way over the top at times, convoluted, and wanted so badly to lack immersion. And of course, nobody liked Raiden. For those just looking for great gameplay, the game still had it.

Re:1987

[MrCopilot]

Here Ya Go.

http://oolite.aegidian.org/
http://retrospec.sgn.net/users/tomcat/miodrag/xEli te.zip?
http://www.rebelstar.cd2.com/cgi-bin/dc.cgi?file=r emakes/elite_-_the_new_kind_v1_0.zip

May I also recommend:

Privateer...
http://priv.solsector.net/
http://wcuniverse.sourceforge.net/

Re:Link dead already

[IDontAgreeWithYou]

Coral Cache should die if the don't get serious about using port 80 so I (and most people at work) can see TFA!!!

1983 & the ZX Spectrum

[malf-uk]

Following its launch in 1982, in 1983 the ZX Spectrum really took off with the release of classic games such as Jetpac, Atic Attac, Pssst, Cookie, Tranz Am and Lunar Jetman and Manic Miner, to name but a few.