My #1 Games: The Early 90's

On 08/09/2013 at 02:21 AM by KnightDriver

The years 1990-1994 were my return to consoles after turning to Apple PCs after the video game crash of '83. My favorite games of this time were mixed evenly between Genesis and SNES except for one PC holdover. What a great time that was for gaming!

DKC

Donkey Kong Country [SNES] 1994: Never beat it. Maybe got 50% done. Replayed first half over and over again. Loved the music, controls, secrets, the animals you could ride. Couldn't ever get enough of it. Actually remember my hands getting sore from playing so long. Favorite music was Aquatic Ambiance from the underwater environment early in the game.

Golden Axe III [Genesis (Japan)] 1993: Ok, so I never was able to play this back in '93 because it was only released in Japan. I only played it as part of the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection on 360 a few years ago. I played through all the Golden Axe titles on that collection, but when I played Golden Axe III, I thought it was the best of them all. Side-scrolling brawlers were one of my favorite genres in the 90's with games like Streets of Rage and Final Fight, but add in fantasy elements and, if the controls were good, it became my instant number one. Golden Axe I and II were great and with the third game, the series hit it's peak, never to be topped.

contra3

Contra III: Alien Wars [SNES] 1992: This was my first great console co-op experience and set up my passion for co-op mode in video games right up 'til today. Get a buddy in there with you and spray some bullets in this 2D side-scrolling SHMUP. Game was damn hard though. I'm not sure I ever beat it even in co-op. Contra was never as good as this Alien Wars game either, although, I haven't played the DS remake yet.

shiningdarkness

Shining in the Darkness [Genesis] 1991: Not sure how I stumbled across this RPG, but it was like Wizardry on console to me. I especially liked the musical puzzle where you had to remember a melody and repeat it by hitting a set of tuning forks. I thought that was really neat and I wished more games had musical puzzles in them.

wizbane

Wizardry: Bane of the Cosmic Forge [PC] 1990: The sixth Wizardry game and the first in color. It was still in the style of the first game in the series with first person wireframe dungeons and turn-based combat. I noticed its release that year, even though I didn't get to play it. 1990 was a tumultuous year for me, and I sold my Apple Mac and didn't play any games, but if had to pick one game to go back to from '90 today, it'd be this.

Super Step Contributing Writer

08/09/2013 at 02:54 AM

Only one I've played is DKC. Man, that game looked amazing in its day.

KnightDriver

08/09/2013 at 01:31 PM

I have a really bad relationship with platformers, but not with DKC. I haven't figured out why yet.

08/09/2013 at 01:44 PM

That is odd. I love platformers.

08/09/2013 at 02:14 PM

Platformers really really frustrate me. Like throwing controler frustration. I really admire their design like in Super Mario Bros and Super Mario 64 and I bought Rayman Origins because I love the art in that game, but I really hate repeating levels over and over. The repetition drives me out of my mind. I think that because DKC has a variety of ways you could traverse a level kept me from getting too frustrated. Plus I could always make DK slap the ground or roll over a ton of Kritters. Yea I need violence in my platformers or I start throwing things. Just a big ol' baby aren't I?

Vice's Assistant

08/09/2013 at 04:18 AM

Loved DKC too and never finished it either. That game was brutal as it was fun.

08/09/2013 at 01:34 PM

Replaying levels was a lot of fun. Then I found those secret short cuts. Then it was about speed running the levels.

Cary Woodham

08/09/2013 at 04:54 AM

Yes, the 16-bit days were great for gaming. The SNES is still my favorite game console of all time. I did manage to beat DKC back in the day. I don't think I could do it now, though! It did have some awesome music.

Lucky you. I think I got hung up in Oil Drum Alley, first level of the fifth area, Kremkroc Industries. Which is more than half way so I guess I completed closer to 70% of the game.

transmet2033

08/09/2013 at 07:24 AM

I love DKC, but always prefered the sequels. I thought that they played and looked a little better. Final Fantasy II(IV) is probably my favourite game from that time period. That or A Link to the Past.

08/09/2013 at 01:47 PM

I always wanted to play the other DKC games. I played a little bit of the second game, Diddy Kong's Quest, but I think I was so frustrated at not finishing DKC, I moved to other games.

For some reason I didn't encountered the Final Fantasy games until fairly recently. I really want to find time to play through them all now.

Aboboisdaman

08/09/2013 at 09:09 AM

Nice choices! I beat DKC recently, and it was hard, but not nearly as bad as I remember. I think those mine cart levels were the worst part. Contra 3 is insane!! It doesn't even show you the ending unless you beat it on hard.

08/09/2013 at 02:06 PM

My plan is to go back and play all these games again.

I just watched gameplay of Contra III and I remember every level and boss so me and my friend must've beat the game. DKC I know I stopped at the KremKroc Industries area.

ThatKidOverThere

08/09/2013 at 01:32 PM

I like the Golden Axe games, but by gosh, they've aged horribly!

08/09/2013 at 02:08 PM

I found the first two games pretty frustrating when I replayed them recently but three seemed like a game I could keep playing 'til I beat it. I think the controls are a little better, plus the game looks a lot better than the previous ones.

leeradical42

08/10/2013 at 09:28 PM

I was an SNES guy at this time and i played DKC and beat it and played the heck out of Ogre Battle March of the Black Queen and Super Mario 3 and wow i think this was gaming at its best the games were so versatile and yiu could get a wide variety from all generes i really miss games from this era.

08/11/2013 at 03:03 AM

The consoles were so simple too. Hard to break those things and you didn't have to worry about being connected to the internet. Those game carts never broke either. Didn't have to worry about scratching a CD.

08/11/2013 at 09:41 AM

They were built for roughness lol!! But the library was so diverse thats what i miss lik. Todays consoles you have a ps3 and a 360 and if you want games you either have to own both or pick one in hopes your games you like are on the console back then eeverything was on the snes.

GeminiMan78

08/20/2013 at 10:26 AM

My best friend and I managed to get to the final boss in Contra 3, but we never beat it. I really love that game, its just oozing with atmospere and the soundtrack was incredable.

I spent the whole thanksgiving holiday playing DKC back when it came out.

08/20/2013 at 03:32 PM

Both are classics that hold up even today.

PixlBit