Top 10 90s Games You Forgot Were Awesome

This arcade classic was released in the era of other brutal fighters like “Mortal Kombat” and “Killer Instinct.” Players squared off as prehistoric creatures, mostly dinosaurs, and ripped each other to shreds to decide the fate of the planet. Due to the popularity of violent fighting games, and a spotlight on dinosaurs at the time thanks to “Jurassic Park,” the game was a sizable hit for Atari. It even got ports to home and handheld consoles, as well as a ton of merch. The reason you may have forgotten its 90s awesomeness is because, unlike its contemporaries, the game never turned into a franchise. A planned sequel was canceled, Atari suffered financial difficulties soon after, and “Primal Rage” was never revisited.

Admittedly, many games from the Sega Saturn era could fall into this category. The system sold so poorly, most of its games have been forgotten, if you even knew about them to begin with. Today, we want to focus on the delightful, toy-centric platformer, “Clockwork Knight.” It follows a wind-up toy knight, Sir Pepper, as he sets out to rescue the woman he loves, Princess Chelsea. While it didn’t break new ground in terms of gameplay, the digitized character sprites over the 3D levels made for impressive visuals at the time. Plus, there’s a lot of charm packed into the levels, each a room inside the house Pepper lives in.

Another 90s gem with a canceled sequel, this time because the original didn’t sell well enough. Ask anyone who played “Beetle Adventure Racing!” though, and they’ll sing its praises. Released solely for the Nintendo 64, the game got solid reviews due its strong visuals, track design, and controls. You may have been limited to various Volkswagen Beetles, but that didn’t matter when the game was this fun. Sadly, it failed to make an impression on a large market, likely due to the abundance of racers already on the N64, like “Mario Kart” and “Diddy Kong Racing,” as well as those on other platforms, like “Need for Speed.”

Even in 1997, the PlayStation’s “Bushido Blade” set itself apart from other fighting games. Instead of health bars and time limits, the game implements a unique Body Damage System. It’s possible to defeat an opponent in a single hit, or hinder their fighting ability with strategic attacks on specific body parts. There are only six playable characters, but they each have different strengths and weaknesses in combination with the different choosable weapons. Add on huge spaces to explore instead of small, confined arenas, and there was a lot of variety in how fights could go. Although it got a sequel and spawned a spin-off series, every subsequent entry grew weaker until “Bushido Blade” faded into obscurity.

Released for the Super Nintendo, PC, and, more obscurely, the Sega 32x, Blizzard’s “Blackthorne” is a fantastic cinematic platformer. It follows a humanoid alien, spirited away from his planet as a baby, who must return home and bring justice to his people. The visuals and character animations were astounding for the time, even among the many other action platformers. And they paired well with the dark atmosphere and exciting gunplay. Blizzard would become better known for their PC franchises; the first “Warcraft” released the same year, and “Diablo” and “Starcraft” followed a few years later. But there’s still a lot of entertainment to be found in one of the studio’s earliest releases.

One of the most underrated games to hit the N64, “Mischief Makers” is a 2.5D sidescrolling platformer with an addictive gameplay hook. There’s a lot of personality here, following a robot maid as she tries to rescue her creator from an evil emperor. Gameplay revolves around grabbing and shaking enemies as well as obstacles to progress, something that brings joy no matter how many times you do it. It sold poorly and got mediocre reviews at launch, but retrospective evaluation has been much kinder. It was likely brushed off for being a 2D game at the height of excitement surrounding the 3D revolution. But for those who played and enjoyed it, “Mischief Makers” remains an unsung delight.

The Super Nintendo featured a plethora of incredible RPGs, though not every one has remained in the conversation when looking back. Developed by the long-defunct Quintet, “Illusion of Gaia” follows a young boy as he sets out to save his world from a cataclysm brought on by a mysterious comet. Set on a fantastical version of Earth around the 16th century, it was really cool being able to explore reimagined real-world locations like the pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China. Combat was simplistic, but it allowed you to change forms to use different abilities. And puzzle-solving within each of its engaging locales was always a pleasure.

The 90s were a great time for point-and-click adventure games, but “The Neverhood” is one that didn’t get as big as it deserved to be. The element that immediately sets it apart from others in its genre, and most games in general, is that it is made entirely in stop-motion claymation. This was incredibly impressive in 1996, and remains so today, giving it a timeless artistic style. This also makes exploring its world and piecing together the story of Klaymen, the protagonist, exceptionally engaging. Although the puzzles didn’t reach the same heights as its visuals and characters, the game still got strong reviews. It sold pretty poorly, but gained a small cult following over the years.

Square produced some of the best RPGs on the Super Nintendo, most of which continue to overshadow “Secret of Evermore” all these years later. The game shares a lot of elements and mechanics from Square’s more popular “Secret of Mana,” released two years prior. That means there’s already a lot to love here, but the game did get some flack from critics who couldn’t help comparing it to other releases from the company. Although the story was familiar, about a young boy and his dog transported to a fantasy world, the worldbuilding, combat, and music was all invigorating, sucking us into the adventure. “Secret of Evermore” is often left out when discussing the Super Nintendo’s RPG legacy, and it shouldn’t be.

The 90s brought the dawn of the FPS. But while many of them flourished, “Shogo: Mobile Armor Division” unfortunately floundered. It blended general FPS gunplay with mech combat, and was inspired by several Japanese anime franchises. This undeniably made it one of the coolest shooters on the market. But it was also incredibly fun, and its combat came with a unique focus on critical hits that could grant you a health boost. Sadly, an ambitious project like this took its toll on the team, leading to a troubled development period. And the fruits of their labor were shallow, since “Shogo” didn’t sell particularly well. That’s a shame, since it is pure, unadulterated awesome and one of the best FPS games to release in its era.


What’s an awesome game from the 90s you think most people have forgotten about? Share it with us in the comments!