Ahoy there mateys, it sure has been an eternity, but that doesn't mean I will stop making these entries. The year now is 1993, literally one of the biggest years of gaming and the industry because of the amazing consoles that were around at this time period (3DO, Atari Jaguar), as well as a growth and huge leap. Even with all of its successes and downfalls, many great games were continuously being made, even though this year was mostly about power and technology.
Enjoy.
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10. Cannon Fodder (1993) (3DO, as well as countless other systems)
This is kind of a weird choice for being on the list at all, but I decided to put it on here anyways because it's a good game. You would probably already know that this game is based around war, and it is. It's not a very violent game, but instead it has cutesy-looking characters (it had a lot of controversy with other countries, however). Still, it's afun game that I wanted to start the list off of.
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9. Mega Man X (December 29, 1993) (SNES)
Mega Man X is actually a strange choice for some people to be on this list because Mega Man has, admittedly, become overdone. Countless rehashes a sequels from Capcom. Mega Man X, however, is still a great game and one that was released before people got the message that the Blue Man was failing in popularity. Mega Man X was the start of a semi-alternative series called "X" (instead of just Mega Man, Mega Man 2, Mega Man 3...). This did confuse people though with the numbering of the franchise. Still, Mega ManX still contains that great run-and-gun action that so many people love, including me. The action is awesome, there are bilingual characters to play as, and the bosses are as bland-looking and frustrating as they ever was.
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8. Sam & Max Hit the Road (1993) (DOS, MAC)
Parental advisory! Twisted humor! made by LucasArts, Sam & Max Hit the road is one of the most humorous video games ever made, and sets upa great example of what developers need to make these days. Heck, even the box art gets my vote as a well designed box cover.A point-and-click adventure game, you play as a dog,Sam,and a weird-looking rabbit, Max, in search ofthe Sasquatch.
"Vehicles will be stolen"
Two versions were released, on floppy and on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM release features full voice acting from the characters.
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7. Myst (September 24, 1993) (MAC, Windows)
Myst is a point-and-click adventure game released for many systems (even on consoles), and goes on to become one of the best selling games of all time. While it was insanelypopular at the time, it also faced massive criticism with a lot of gamers and critics. Many said the game was just too boring, that it lacked action, and that the graphics, while very good, were just a bunch of static images paned from one scene to the next. While a lot of this was true, and the difficulty can be way too hard, as well as a sloppy storyline, the game is undeniably immersive.
"Probably the most unexciting screenshot I could find. The game's world is unbelievable."
The game is set place on a island with different areas you can explore, as wellas different ages you must go to. My personal favorite area would be the clock tower. The story is almost non-existent in my opinion, but the puzzles are fantastic and well thought out. Myst produced a sequel, Riven, which is also a great game, and bothwent on to sell millions of copies. The series has become stale now, but the originals will always, in a way, beone of the best games ever because of it's incrediblydetailed world and interacions.
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6.Super Mario All-Stars (August 2, 1993) SNES)
Many of you may be upset at me for repeatedly placing Mario games or Super Nintendo games on my lists, but due to restrictions in the number of titles I could put on, and many incorrect release dates, I had to at least put this one on. Since this isn't actually a true new mario game release, I decided to place it rather low on the list, even though the game itself is excellent. It's just a cartridge that contains a collection of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3, so it's a value pack. The 3 games have been given some re-designs and modifications, such as the game including the lost levels, so not everything has that "been there, done that" feel to it, even though the All-Stars is essentially the same 3 games you've already played.
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5. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (August 1993) (Game Boy, Game Boy Color (DX version only)
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for the original Game Boy was a great adventure and one of the best Game Boy games. it is also the first Zelda adventure on handhelds. While it isn't as favored by fans when compared to A Link to the Past, it's still just as good in many regards.
Link's Awakening begins when Link is sailing and is ship-wrecked on a island. He is found by a habitant of the island, Maron, and were he begins his quest to awaken the wind fish. It has thegreat Zelda gameplay with a twist, and the storyis also more original too. Great ideas andmechanics were also introduced in Link's Awakening such as combining items (bomb arrows anyone?) and how you can revisit completed dungeons and find something new in it. In 1998, Nintendo later released Link's Awakening DX for the Game Boy Color, abetter remake of the original with a colorscreen that makes the world look much better and aGame Boy printer mechanic.
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4. Akumajo Dracula X Chi no Rondo (October 29, 1993) (PC Engine, Japan only)
Akumajo Dracula X Chi no Rondo (or Rondo of Blood) was one of the only Castlevania games not released in the U.S., and it's a shame too because it's one of the best in the series and possibly the best traditional action-oriented Castlevania.
For a 16-bit game, the graphics are gorgeous, and they are almost right on par with Playstation's Symphony of the Night, which is a 32-bit game. As for it's production values, the sound is fantastic. While the sound effects are decent, the game really shines in it's music and recorded diolouge. The intro is narrated in German to give it that Transylvanian feel (with Japanese subtitles, obviously), and the game features voice acting as well, all very good. The game uses anime cutscenes to progress the story also (not the cheesy saturday morning anime that is used in the series' latest debuts).
"This is actually a unlockable playable character, but believe me, she makes Dracula look like a sissy."
Konami has always been known for their great music, and this is some of their best. While a lot of it are remixes, the music is a hit and a soundtrack I wouldn't mind buying. Fortunatley, the game is being ported to the PSP, but Rondo of Blood deserves to be downloadable on Nintendo's virtual console. The SNES port released in 1995 didn't make the cut either and was largely criticised for being greatly altered from the original.
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3. Doom (December 10, 1993) (PC)
While I'm not personally a Doom fan myself, I still had to place it on this list for the huge impact it made on me. To start off, the game's graphics are really effective at bringing the mood and they are pretty realistic too. The music is also really creepy and scary. Doom is also one of the first games to use a chainsaw in a First-Person Shooter, and it was also a very popular weapon.
In terms of popularity, Doom repeatedly is placed on numerous lists, and has made a great impact on the industry, both good and bad. Many players enjoyed it, but the game was heavily criticised by people outside the industry such as pearents for it's violence, but not many games out there are as fun as this.
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2. Gunstar Heroes (September 9, 1993) (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive)
Gunstar Heroes is a run-and-gun shooter from Treasure available for the Genesis. This ranks among one of the best 16-bit releases ever, and fetches for high prices due to it's popularity.
Gunstar Heroes is awesome because it combines linear level progression with plot elements and weapon customization, as well as a boss at every end of the level. Gunstar Super Heroes was a remake of some sort for the Game Boy Advance released in 2005. This game is also now available for the Wii.
While it is very short in length, this is easily some of the best that the Genesis had to offer, and Treasure makes some of the coolest games around.
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1. Secret of Mana (October 3, 1993) (SNES)
Secret of Mana is a RPG made from SquareSoft for the Super Nintendo. Secret of Mana is superb because it had a real-time combat system which was nice considering how Role-Playing adventures usually had turn-based battle systems. What was really innovative was how it had a form of multiplayer in it in how up to three players could play at once cooperativley.
What would probably best describe Secret of Mana would be Zelda, but in a RPG form. It's better than Zelda in many ways though. The gameplay is more refined and deep.
A lot of people who have played it would agree that Secret of Mana is a experience you must live, and is one of Square's best works.
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