Key

Rating Games & Systems From 1991-1992

There will be certain things that I do in between talking about the lists of games that I have presented in the OP. I've done Honorable Mentions and things of that nature, and I want to keep things exciting. So as I did with the list of games before I did this little project, I'm going to take some games from 1991 and 1992 and rate them as I see fit. Depending on how many games there are in a given year, it may change the way I rate them, but for now, this is how it sits:


Metroid II: Return of Samus

Going solely on word of mouth, I can't technically give this a game a rating since I've not played enough of it or any of it if I remember correctly, but I can safely say that from what I've heard and seen, it certainly holds a staple in history as one of the finer handheld games to date. Especially considering it was released on the original Game Boy, that's quite a big feat. I know the Metroid series is very beloved which is why I don't feel too comfortable giving it a number rating, but from what I can tell, the game is great, so whatever rating you want to consider that, by all means go ahead.

I mean c'mon, these graphics although simple looking, look awesome for a Game Boy:




Super Nintendo Game System

It may seem like a sort of cop out but c'mon, how am I expected to talk about games in this era without talking about the release of the Super Nintendo, or otherwise known as SNES. I remember getting an SNES back when I was a kid, and even today I still have one, on top of an NES and N64 which I'm sure i'll be discussing here at some point. I mean, this system not only brought some of my finest gaming memories, but also helped release amazing games like Killer Instinct, Batman Forever, and many other greats of course.

Definitely a 10/10 game system for its time, however put up against consoles today, it wouldn't stand a chance. But again, it birthed some true classics that we know and love today.

Another one I would love to talk about and one I've sort of been waiting to talk about it:


Virtua Racing

Technically released to console in 1994, the original arcade version of Virtua Racing was released back in 1992, so it counts. From the minute I saw a picture of the game, it reminded me of the times I played the Sega Genesis back in the day. While still managing to be not the most successful or fun to play console, the Sega Genesis definitely released some great games in its heyday, but I probably wouldn't buy a console like this anytime soon. Too many other great games to play. I'd give this a game a solid 7/10 for nostalgia sake specifically. The game is great though.

Key

So, you thought I was done? Nope. I've got some more games from 1991 and 1992 to talk about. Be it, again, not really as many as I'd like, but certain games do deserve some mention.


Zool

I have very non vivid memories of playing this game, but not only is the game title familiar, the pictures showing the game are also very familiar. Going based on that, I know for a fact that I have played this game before. Whether or not I liked it is not something I can remember vividly. But, evidently looking at the screenshots, I probably loved it. I was definitely big on platforms back in the day. Now, if you're wondering how I played this game, I honestly don't remember. It could have been a copy released seeing as versions were later released for other systems. If I were to say, I probably played it on the SNES. I'd probably play this again given the opportunity.



Of course, while these games are good, one notable thing to mention from these years would have to be the SNES release, but along with that, Sega, released the Mega-CD in Japan. I've actually seen this system in person and god damn, what an odd one:



If by looking at this image you remember this console, I feel bad. It wasn't necessarily the most successful and definitely brought some pretty bizarre releases. But, can't fault Sega for trying something different. It did get discontinued because of the much more slick looking Sega Saturn.

The Batlord

Nah it didn't. The SNES version turned the blood to lameass sweat. The Genesis version was superior.

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Key

I was going more on what I remembered but if that's the case, I plead ignorance then. The SNES version is the only one I played back then so I figured it was what to expect. Good to know tho.

The Batlord

I was like 6 or 7 back then so I remember the SNES vs. Genesis controversy and the superiority of blood vs. sweat between Genesis vs. SNES was a major victory for Sega.

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Key

Ah yeah I think I've actually read up on that somewhere but I didn't look too far into it. Interesting though to say the least. I imagine it had to be toned down especially if being shipped through Nintendo.

The Batlord

SNES vs. Genesis was the true console war. Everything after that was a less intense replay of that rivalry. Those two consoles were out for blood.

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Key

That's pretty dope tbh tho I imagine it has something to do with the fact that it was very rare to have a console war. Nowadays it happens all the time but back when gaming was starting to rise, the rivalries were much more severe. That I do remember. Though Nintendo had it in the bag for quite a while.

Key

Let's Talk About...SNES (A Bit More In Depth)



Otherwise known as Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the SNES came out in 1990 in Japan, and 1991 for North America. I figured since we were talking about video games, we could talk about the systems that came out with those games as well. Yes, the SNES. Perhaps one of my all time favorite game consoles to date. I remember years and years of enjoyment coming from this system and of course the systems that came after it, which we will of course be talking about. But yeah, the SNES. What made it so great? Was it the impressive amount of games on it? Or was it simply the games that it had on it that made it great? Well, it was a mixture of both.

Let's see. The SNES had titles like...


Batman Forever

I played this **** out of this game.


Donkey Kong Country


We will be talking about this game, so I'm just passively mentioning it here.

And so much more. But again, we're talking about games all month, so I'm not going to talk in depth about those right now. But yeah, not only did the SNES have some fantastic titles on its side, it also had one of my favorite controller designs I've ever seen.



Even though the design is simple, I've used this controller recently and it still feels super comfortable and slick to touch. If there's a USB version of this out there somewhere, I should definitely pick it up. Don't get me wrong, the NES controller is fine as well, but this one feels so natural to hold in your hand.

Quite the spectacular console, especially for its time. But of course, things tend to get outdated, and especially with today's standards, the console doesn't really hold up well. But again, I'd definitely take that controller design over anything else these days.

Key

The Start of Something Great [Pt. 1]

As I'm continuing to go through lists of games to put up for discussion, I'm realizing that there were a ton of games that launched an entire series of games that we know and love today. While I'll still be talking about some in the coming weeks, I figure as I'm doing this I can talk about other ones too. This is separate from the Honorable Mentions portion because this will specifically be talking about the games that started a great series.

So let's of course start off with:

Pokemon



I'm of course going to be talking about specific Pokemon games this month, but I want to talk a bit more vague at the moment. I can't think of many other video game franchises that have done as well and as consistently well as the Pokemon franchise has. Though, don't take that too literally. I'm talking more specifically the handheld side of gaming. The entire series of Pokemon games definitely dominated the handheld gaming scene. Hell, I'm sure it's what kept it alive for all these years. Don't get me wrong though, Animal Crossing is great. I just think Pokemon definitely delivered more, and more often.

Grand Theft Auto



Believe it or not, I didn't play a single Grand Theft Auto game until San Andreas. Even so, I haven't actually played through GTA V myself yet. I haven't had the time or motivation to start another massive world. Plus, too many games on the backlog right now. However, I give the series a lot of credit for going the route that the Mortal Kombat guys did. They made something a bit different and dare I say, ballsy, and it definitely worked. I'm excited to see what the next installment of the GTA franchise is going to be. I mean, GTA V is going to be a tough one to beat but I imagine if anybody can do it, Rockstar can.

The Legend of Zelda



I know, I know. The series of Zelda games actually started in 1986, but I'm making an exception here since not only am I humongous Zelda fan, I've definitely enjoyed as many Zelda games as I could have growing up. While I didn't play a whole lot of the later games other than Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild. I did play a couple of the handheld games as well, and I've mentioned this many times, but it's very rare for me to say that I hate a Zelda game. They're all very unique and fun in their own ways. And for it to start off back in 1986 and to evolve into what it is today, well, I imagine you can forgive my exception here. I don't know how much I'll be talking about The Legend of Zelda this month. It may be a lot, it may not be. But I figure I'd mention it now here just in case. But yeah, quite a start to a fantastic series if I've ever seen one.