Favorite Game by Year

[VashTheStampede]

This is a fun one. Pick your favorite game that came out each year of your life.

1982: Joust
1983: Dragon's Lair
1984: Donald Duck's Playground
1985: Super Mario Bros.
1986: Dragon Quest
1987: Final Fantasy
1988: Super Mario Bros. 2
1989: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
1990: Super Mario Bros. 3
1991: Sonic the Hedgehog
1992: Sonic the Hedgehog 2
1993: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
1994: Final Fantasy VI
1995: Chrono Trigger
1996: Suikoden
1997: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
1998: Suikoden II
1999: Chrono Cross
2000: Diablo II
2001: Final Fantasy X
2002: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
2003: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
2004: World of Warcraft
2005: Jade Empire
2006: Marvel Ultimate Alliance
2007: Rock Band
2008: World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
2009: Batman: Arkham Asylum
2010: Mass Effect 2
2011: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2012: Persona 4 Golden
2013: Rogue Legacy
2014: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
2015: The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
2016: Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
2017: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2018: God of War
2019: Slay the Spire
2020: Hades
2021: Psychonauts 2
2022: Immortality

 

[TD]

 

[Smacktard]

How do you compile a list like this? Especially more recent years when hundreds of games are released, including excellent indie games? I wouldn't know where to start

 

[VashTheStampede]

 

[Smacktard]

I'm asking cause I wanna be weird too

 

[VashTheStampede]

I'm asking cause I wanna be weird too

Well for the last several years I've kept a running top 10 each year for games I play. So I was already set for most of the years of the indie game explosion.

Going back past the point of my GOTY lists I literally scrolled through lists of every game released each year. Being a speed reader helps tremendously there.

 

[TD]

That's a good idea. I've never done anything like that.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I can't compile such a list. I haven't played many new games since the Xbox 360 era.

 

[Crystal]

....I don't think I can do this one. My list for recent years will be extremely limited.

Let's give this a shot...

• 1987: Contra
• 1988: SMB 3
• 1989: DuckTales
• 1990: Super Mario World
• 1991: Sonic the Hedgehog
• 1992: Final Fantasy V
• 1993: Kirby's Adventure ... or Star Fox...grr...
• 1994: Super Metroid
• 1995: Chrono Trigger
• 1996: Super Mario 64
• 1997: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
• 1998: Pokemon Red OR OOT...that's too hard...
• 1999: System Shock 2
• 2000: Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
• 2001: Halo CE, Ico or Civ III...hmm....
• 2002: Metroid Prime or GTA: VC
• 2003: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• 2004: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 (I was going to go Halo 2, but I'm a KotOR freak...and as much as I love Fable, I can't include that)
• 2005: Shadow of the Colossus or Civ IV
• 2006: Dead Rising? Didn't play many new games this year
• 2007: Bioshock
• 2008: Fable II
• 2009: Batman: Arkham Asylum
• 2010: Mass Effect 2 or Civ V or Bioshock 2
• 2011: Saints Row The Third or Batman: Arkham City
• 2012: Mass Effect 3
• 2013: The Last of Us or Bioshock Infinite
• 2014: Bayonetta 2...another year I didn't play many games.
• 2015: Batman: Arkham Knight...only game I played this year, lol
• 2016: The Last Guardian
• 2017: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• 2018: I guess RDR2, didn't play much this year
• 2019: Jedi: Fallen Order, only game I played and I didn't get far into it.
• 2020: Hades, again didn't play much of it.
• 2021: MLB The Show 21...the only game I played because friends asked me to, lol
• 2022: MLB The Show 22...see above
• 2023: MLB The Show 23...see above.

 

[VashTheStampede]

If it makes you feel any better, you brought to light a game I somehow missed on my list.

 

[Crystal]

If it makes you feel any better, you brought to light a game I somehow missed on my list.

Yeah, I know, as much as I suck at all things baseball, The Show games are fun.

lol, kidding.

 

[Raine]

Uhh... challenge accepted, I guess. Doing this exclusively through Googling "video games released in XXXX" and looking up the release dates for games I very specifically want on here somewhere. We're just going with the year it first released (on console) anywhere in the world to save myself some grief. Many, many of these were played years or decades after they actually released, too.

1985: Super Mario Bros. (NES)
1986: Dragon Quest (NES)
1987: Bubble Bobble (NES)
1988: Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
1989: Tetris (GB)
1990: Super Mario World (SNES) / Honorable mention: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES)
1991: Streets of Rage (GEN)
1992: Super Smash TV (SNES) / Honorable mentions: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GEN), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (SNES), Streets of Rage II (GEN)
1993: Mega Man X (SNES)
1994: Mortal Kombat II (GEN) / Honorable mention: Mega Man X2 (SNES), Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
1995: Panel de Pon/Tetris Attack (SNES) / Honorable mention: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES), Chrono Trigger (SNES)
1996: Super Mario 64 (N64) / Honorable mentions: Arc the Lad II (PS1), Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES), Mario Kart 64 (N64)
1997: Mega Man Legends (PS1) / Honorable mention: Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS1)
1998: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) / Honorable mention: Banjo-Kazooie (N64), Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (PS1)
1999: Final Fantasy VIII (PS1) / Honorable mentions: Digimon World (PS1), Pokemon Gold & Silver (GBC), Grandia (PS1), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (PS1)
2000: Final Fantasy IX (PS1) / Honorable mentions: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64), Skies of Arcadia (DC)

HARDEST CHOICE OF MY LIFE
2001: Shadow Hearts (PS2) / Honorable mentions: Final Fantasy X (PS2), Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN) Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)

2002: Final Fantasy XI (PC) / Honorable mentions: Kingdom Hearts (PS2), Suikoden III (PS2), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 (PS2)
2003: Star Ocean: Til the End of Time (PS2) / Honorable mention: Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (PS2), Armored Core 3: Silent Line (PS2)
2004: Shadow Hearts: Covenant (PS2) / Honorable mention: Phantom Brave (PS2), Tony Hawk's Underground (PS2), Armored Core: Nexus (PS2)
2005: Tales of the Abyss (PS2) / Honorable mention: Resident Evil 4 (GCN), Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening (PS2), Radiata Stories (PS2)
2006: Persona 3 (PS2) / Honorable mentions: Suikoden V (PS2), Guitar Hero II (PS2)
2007: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (X360) / Honorable mentions: Lost Odyssey (X360), Super Mario Galaxy (WII), Assassin's Creed (X360), Rock Band (X360)
2008: Rock Band 2 (X360) / Honorable mention: Tales of Vesperia (X360), Persona 4 (PS2)
2009: Zero Escape - 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (NDS) / Honorable mention: Batman: Arkham Asylum (X360), Assassin's Creed II (X360), Ghostbusters: The Video Game (X360)

SHIT NO I LIED THIS ONE IS HARDER
2010: NieR (X360) and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (WII) / Honorable mention: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (X360), Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)

2011: Bastion (X360) / Honorable mentions: Catherine (X360), Bulletstorm (X360)
2012: Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (3DS) / Honorable mentions: The Darkness II (X360), Persona 4 Arena (X360)
2013: didn't play enough / Honorable mention: Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin (PC)
2014: didn't play enough
2015: didn't play enough / Honorable mention: Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (PC)
2016: didn't play enough / Honorable mention: Persona 5 (PS4)
2017: didn't play enough / Honorable mention: NieR: Automata (PS4)
2018: didn't play enough / Honorable mention: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NSW)
2019: didn't play enough / Honorable mention: Devil May Cry 5 (XBO)
2020: didn't play enough / Honorable mention: Streets of Rage 4 (XBO)
2021: didn't play enough
2022: didn't play enough / Honorable mention: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (XBO)
2023: Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon [STILL HAVE NOT FUCKING STARTED IT?! lol]

 

[Smacktard]

Okay let's fuggin do this. I'm using NA dates, and the system I have/would be most likely to have. No re-releases.

Used "/" when I couldn't decide between two games, and listed some runner-ups that I found were very close.

1981 : Donkey Kong
1982 : Pole Position
1983 : (None)
1984 : Punch-Out!!
1985 : Super Mario Bros
1986 : Out-Run
1987 : Castlevania
1988 : Tetris
1989 : Golden Axe
1990 : Super Mario Bros 3
1991 : Link to the Past
1992 : Super Mario Land 2 / King's Quest VI
1993 : Gunstar Heroes
1994 : Donkey Kong Country
1995 : Chrono Trigger
1996 : Super Mario Rpg (sorry Super Mario 64, runner-up)
1997 : Goldeneye (Bomberman 64 runner-up)
1998 : Ocarina of Time (Half-Life runner-up)
1999 : Age of Empires II
2000 : Counter-Strike / Pokemon Gold
2001 : Super Smash Bros Melee
2002 : Morrowind (Metroid Prime runner-up)
2003 : Wind Waker, although nothing really jumps out at me (never played KOTOR)
2004 : Half-Life 2
2005 : Resident Evil 4
2006 : Okami (Excellent game, but worst year for video games...)
2007 : Team Fortress 2 (until constant updates turned it to shit)
2008 : Mega Man 9
2009 : New Super Mario Bros Wii (Boom Blox Bash Party runner-up... I haven't played Arkham Asylum yet tho)
2010 : Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Xenoblade runner-up)
2011 : Dark Souls (Skyrim runner-up)
2012 : New Super Mario Bros U (horrible year for video games too)
2013 : Guacamelee
2014 : Shovel Knight
2015 : Xenoblade Chronicles X
2016 : Dark Souls 3
2017 : Hollow Knight (Breath of the Wild runner-up)
2018 : Red Dead Redemption 2 (Monster Boy in the Cursed Kingdom and Mega Man 11 solid runners-up)
2019 : Sekiro (Mario Maker 2 runner-up)
2020 : Last of Us Part II / Hades
2021 : It Takes Two (Metroid Dread runner-up)
2022 : I'm not caught up yet, but when I am... probably Elden Ring MAYBE GoW: Ragnarok. Until then, Kirby and the Forgotten Land
2023 : Tears of the Kingdom / Super Mario Wonder / Super Mario RPG toss-up, probably

 

[Smacktard]

@VashTheStampede You might want to check the release date for Tetris

 

[VashTheStampede]

@VashTheStampede You might want to check the release date for Tetris

Oh shit, good lookin' out.

My first draft for this, years ago, was before I found https://www.gamesdatabase.org/

So it was a combination of slapdash Googling and Wikipedia leading me astray.

Fixed now though.

 

[Cole]

...I really wanna do this but the early days are just so hard. I LIVED at arcades, and there's just so many games from back then I loved.

I started my list, I may persue it further later

 

[TD]

This was hard.
I gave it a try - there might be games missing for me but this was the best effort I had:

1986: Dragon Quest
1987: Final Fantasy
1988: Dragon Quest III
1989: Duck Tales
1990: Crystalis
1991: Link to the Past
1992: Super Mario Kart
1993: Secret of Mana
1994: Final Fantasy VI
1995: Chrono Trigger
1996: Mario Kart 64
1997: Ultima Online
1998: Xenogears
1999: Unreal Tournament
2000: Perfect Dark
2001: Final Fantasy X
2002: Kingdom Hearts
2003: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
2004: Fable
2005: Kingdom Hearts II
2006: Final Fantasy XII
2007: Uncharted
2008: LittleBigPlanet
2009: Demons Souls
2010: Need for Speed Hot Pursuit
2011: Dark Souls
2012: Borderlands 2
2013: Ni No Kuni
2014: Dark Souls II
2015: The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
2016: Dark Souls III
2017: Hollow Knight
2018: Monster Hunter World
2019: Mortal Kombat 11
2020: Dragon Quest XI S
2021: It Takes Two
2022: Elden Ring

 

[Smacktard]

This was hard.
I gave it a try - there might be games missing for me but this was the best effort I had:

1986: Dragon Quest
1987: Final Fantasy
1988: Dragon Quest III
1989: Duck Tales
1990: Crystalis
1991: Link to the Past
1992: Super Mario Kart
1993: Secret of Mana
1994: Final Fantasy VI
1995: Chrono Trigger
1996: Mario Kart 64
1997: Ultima Online
1998: Xenogears
1999: Unreal Tournament
2000: Perfect Dark
2001: Final Fantasy X
2002: Kingdom Hearts
2003: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
2004: Fable
2005: Kingdom Hearts II
2006: Final Fantasy XII
2007: Uncharted
2008: LittleBigPlanet
2009: Demons Souls
2010: Need for Speed Hot Pursuit
2011: Dark Souls
2012: Borderlands 2
2013: Ni No Kuni
2014: Dark Souls II
2015: The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
2016: Dark Souls III
2017: Hollow Knight
2018: Monster Hunter World
2019: Mortal Kombat 11
2020: Dragon Quest XI S
2021: It Takes Two
2022: Elden Ring

You're absolutely right about It Takes Two. I thought about it the entire time I was making the list, until I got to its actual year and completely forgot edited my list to fix that

 

[Tubby23]

I'm giving this a go but I am admittedly a bit different to most of you in my gaming tastes (I think):

1992: Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Sega)
1993: NBA Jam
1994: Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
1995: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES)
1996: Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Kart 64 (N64) - can't split them
1997: Snowboard Kids (N64)
1998: Pokemon Red (Australia release date) (GB)
1999: Pokemon Snap (N64)
2000: The Sims (PC)
2001: Conker's Bad Fur Day (N64)
2002: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)
2003: Tony Hawk's Underground (PS2)
2004: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
2005: Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PS2)
2006: WWE Smackdown! vs Raw 2007 (PS2) or Cricket '07 (PS2)
2007: FIFA 08 (PS3)
2008: Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
2009: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
2010: Call of Duty: Black Ops (PS3)
2011: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3)
2012: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (PS3)
2013: Grand Theft Auto V (PS3 & PS4)
2014: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (PS4)
2015: Rocket League (PS4)
2016: Pokemon Go (Mobile)
2017: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
2018: Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)
2019: Apex Legends (PS4)
2020: Call of Duty: Warzone (PS4)
2021: Hell Let Loose (PS5)
2022: Elden Ring (PS5)
2023: Hogwarts Legacy (PS5)

 

[Raine]

Man, Snowboard Kids. Loved those games!

 

[Tubby23]

Man, Snowboard Kids. Loved those games!

My brothers and I must have played 100s of hours on them. The N64 was our first console when I was 7 and they were 5.

"Santa" got it for us for Christmas with Super Mario, Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing and Snowboard Kids, to be that age again. I remember even my Dad who was not into gaming and didn't really get it loved to play snowboard kids with us.

 

[Smacktard]

My brothers and I must have played 100s of hours on them. The N64 was our first console when I was 7 and they were 5.

"Santa" got it for us for Christmas with Super Mario, Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing and Snowboard Kids, to be that age again. I remember even my Dad who was not into gaming and didn't really get it loved to play snowboard kids with us.

There's something magical about parents who don't really play video games finding a game they enjoy. My dad would come into my room every now and then while I was on my computer and play Animal Crossing. I remember he used to love this grumpy old bear that lived by the seaside called 'Vladimir'. Good memories.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Mickey Mousecapade on the NES. My mother didn't play games much but she would always attempt that piece of crap game.

We also kicked ass at Bubble Bobble together.

 

[shortkut]

Mickey Mousecapade on the NES. My mother didn't play games much but she would always attempt that piece of crap game.

That was almost my last pick because I have memories of playing it, but then I remembered the memories of it kind of sucking

 

[VashTheStampede]

You gotta get that hidden star for Minnie before you leave the first level.

 

[Cole]

There's something magical about parents who don't really play video games finding a game they enjoy. My dad would come into my room every now and then while I was on my computer and play Animal Crossing. I remember he used to love this grumpy old bear that lived by the seaside called 'Vladimir'. Good memories.

the very first game I ever preordered was Tetris 2.

...because my mom wanted to play it.

 

[Smacktard]

the very first game I ever preordered was Tetris 2.

...because my mom wanted to play it.

They really missed out on the opportunity to call it Twotris.

 

[shortkut]

There's something magical about parents who don't really play video games finding a game they enjoy. My dad would come into my room every now and then while I was on my computer and play Animal Crossing. I remember he used to love this grumpy old bear that lived by the seaside called 'Vladimir'. Good memories.

Mickey Mousecapade on the NES. My mother didn't play games much but she would always attempt that piece of crap game.

We also kicked ass at Bubble Bobble together.

the very first game I ever preordered was Tetris 2.

...because my mom wanted to play it.

The only game I remember playing with any regularity with my dad was ultimate basketball for NES. I know he only played because I wanted to

 

[Smacktard]

The only game I remember playing with any regularity with my dad was ultimate basketball for NES. I know he only played because I wanted to

That Mega Man-esque team select screen is dope

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

I'll start at 1994 because that is the first year I remember actually getting games (and getting an SNES) rather than playing old NES games we had.

1994: Donkey Kong Country (Christmas morning was glorious, it came with a VHS with the "making of". It is my first memory of looking forward to a game.)
1995: Chrono Trigger
1996: Super Mario RPG
1997: GoldenEye 007 (FF7 close second)
1998: Ocarina of Time
1999: Chrono Cross
2000: FF9 (Roller Coaster Tycoon would be my most played though)
2001: Jak and Daxter (Tight year - GTA 3, THPS 3, Baldurs Gate 2, SSX Tricky)
2002: GTA Vice City
2003: Madden 2004
2004: GTA San Andreas
2005: Shadow of the Colossus
2006: Guitar Hero 2 (This and Rock Band are the only games I remember playing in this time period lol)
2007: Rock Band
2008: GTA 4 (Still my most played game ever)
2009: Dragon Age Origins (slight nod ahead of Uncharted 2 and Batman Arkham Asylum)
2010: Red Dead Redemption (super close with Mass Effect 2 and Rock Band 3)
2011: Portal 2 (played a lot more Skyrim but perfect case of quality over quantity)
2012: Mass Effect 3
2013: GTA 5
2014: Valkyria Chronicles (might have been the only game I remember playing)
2015: The Witcher 3 (still my favorite game of all time, though Hades is in that conversation now with FF9)
2016: Persona 5 (Uncharted 4 close behind)
2017: Horizon Zero Dawn (I enjoyed it more than Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey)
2018: Red Dead Redemption 2 (God of War is very close)
2019: Jedi Fallen Order
2020: Hades (Nothing even close to Hades. Cyberpunk 2022 was great, but Hades was amazing)
2021: It Takes Two (weak year for me)
2022: God of War Ragnarok (Horizon Forbidden West too bloated so it falls behind)

 

[VashTheStampede]

2018 was probably the hardest year I can think of. I do a top 10 games of the year list every year and that year I went back and forth between RDR2 and GoW so many times.