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This article may misquote or misrepresent many of its sources. Please see the cleanup page for more information.(August 2022) |
1997 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Final Fantasy VII , Castlevania: Symphony of the Night , GoldenEye 007 , Star Fox 64 , Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back , Quake II , Mega Man Legends , Riven , Tomb Raider II , Dark Rift , Tekken 3 and Virtua Striker 2 , along with new titles such as Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee , Gran Turismo , Diablo , Grand Theft Auto and Fallout .
Sony's PlayStation was the year's best-selling video game console worldwide for the second year in a row, while also being the annual best-selling console in Japan for the first time (overtaking the Game Boy and Sega Saturn). The year's best-selling home video game worldwide was Squaresoft's Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation, while the year's highest-grossing arcade games in Japan were Sega's Virtua Fighter 3 and Print Club 2 .
Month | Day | System |
---|---|---|
March | 1 | Nintendo 64 EU/AU |
April | 25 | Dual Analog Controller JP |
September | 12 | Game.com NA |
October | 20 | New-style Super NES NA |
November | 20 | DualShock controllerJP |
Month | Day | System |
---|---|---|
Unknown | Unknown | Genesis/Mega Drive |
April | 30 | Sega Game Gear |
The following titles won Game of the Year awards for 1997.
Awards | Game of the Year | Platform(s) | Genre | Publisher | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CESA Awards | Final Fantasy VII | PlayStation | Role-playing | Squaresoft | [3] |
Japan Media Arts Festival | [4] | ||||
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) | Sony | [5] | |||
Game Informer | [6] | ||||
GamePro | [7] | ||||
Hyper | [8] | ||||
Origins Awards | [9] | ||||
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) | GoldenEye 007 | Nintendo 64 | First-person shooter | Nintendo | [10] |
Interactive Achievement Awards | [11] | ||||
Digitiser | Super Mario 64 | Nintendo 64 | Platformer | Nintendo | [12] |
Golden Joystick Awards | [13] | ||||
GameSpot | Total Annihilation | PC | Real-time strategy | Cavedog | [14] |
Gamest Awards | Vampire Savior (Darkstalkers 3) | Arcade (CP System II) | Fighting | Capcom | [15] |
Japan Media Arts Festival | Intelligent Qube (I.Q. / Kurushi) | PlayStation | Puzzle | Sony | [4] |
Origins Awards | Sid Meier's Gettysburg! | PC | Wargame | Electronic Arts | [9] |
Tomb Raider | Multi-platform | Action-adventure | Eidos Interactive |
Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are online aggregators of video game journalism reviews. Note that their coverage of print magazines at the time was limited, with numerous print magazines not listed on their sites.
The following video game releases in 1997 entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40. [21]
Title | Platform | Developer | Publisher | Genre | Score (out of 40) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Final Fantasy VII | PlayStation | Squaresoft | Squaresoft | Role-playing | 38 |
Final Fantasy VII International | PlayStation | Squaresoft | Squaresoft | Role-playing | 37 |
Tobal 2 | PlayStation | DreamFactory | Squaresoft | Fighting | 36 |
Star Fox 64 | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Rail shooter | 36 |
Derby Stallion | PlayStation | ASCII Corporation | ASCII Corporation | Simulation | 35 |
Gran Turismo | PlayStation | Polys Entertainment | Sony | Racing simulation | 35 |
In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1997.
Rank | Gamest [15] | Game Machine [22] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Title | Manufacturer | Genre | Title | Manufacturer | Type | Points | |
1 | Virtua Fighter 3 | Sega | Fighting | Print Club 2 | Atlus | Other | 4068 |
2 | Tekken 3 | Namco | Fighting | Virtua Fighter 3 | Sega | Dedicated | 3995 |
3 | X-Men vs. Street Fighter | Capcom | Fighting | Tekken 3 | Namco | PCB | 3757 |
4 | Street Fighter III: New Generation | Capcom | Fighting | Virtual On: Cyber Troopers | Sega | Dedicated | 2969 |
5 | Vampire Savior (Darkstalkers 3) | Capcom | Fighting | X-Men vs. Street Fighter | Capcom | PCB | 2776 |
6 | Samurai Spirits 4: Amakusa Kōrin | SNK | Fighting | Puzzle Bobble 3 | Taito | PCB | 2626 |
7 | Real Bout Garō Densetsu Special | SNK | Fighting | Densha de Go! | Taito | Dedicated | 2614 |
8 | Virtual On: Cyber Troopers | Sega | Shooter | Time Crisis | Namco | Dedicated | 2459 |
9 | The King of Fighters '97 | SNK | Fighting | Gallop Racer | Tecmo | PCB | 2420 |
10 | DoDonPachi | Atlus | Bullet hell | Rave Racer | Namco | Dedicated | 2399 |
Rank | Manufacturer | Game console | Type | Generation | Sales | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | United States | Worldwide | |||||
1 | Sony | PlayStation | Home | 32-bit | 5,050,000+ [23] | 6,750,000+ [23] | 17,200,000+ [23] |
2 | Nintendo | Game Boy / Game Boy Pocket | Handheld | 8-bit | 4,220,000 [24] | Unknown | 10,370,000 [24] |
3 | Nintendo | Nintendo 64 | Home | 64-bit | 1,110,000 [24] | 4,488,000 [25] | 9,420,000 [24] |
4 | Nintendo | Super NES / Super Famicom | Home | 16-bit | 190,000 [24] | 593,000 [25] | 2,040,000 [24] |
5 | Sega | Sega Saturn | Home | 32-bit | 800,000 [26] | 249,000 [25] | 1,800,000 [27] [28] |
6 | Sega | Sega Genesis | Home | 16-bit | Unknown | 478,000 [25] | 478,000+ |
7 | Nintendo | NES / Famicom | Home | 8-bit | 30,000 [24] | 81,000 [25] | 111,000 |
8 | NEC | PC-FX | Home | 32-bit | 30,000 [26] | — | 30,000 |
Final Fantasy VII was the best-selling home video game worldwide in 1997. [29] It sold more than 6 million copies worldwide by 1998, becoming the best-selling PlayStation game up until then. [30]
The following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games (console games or computer games) of 1997 in Japan and the United States.
Rank | Title | Platform | Sales | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | United States [31] [32] | Combined | |||
1 | Final Fantasy VII | PlayStation | 3,447,500+ [33] | 1,500,000+ [32] | 4,947,500+ |
2 | Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / Blue | Game Boy | 3,995,988 [34] | — | 3,995,988 |
3 | Mario Kart 64 | Nintendo 64 | 731,385 [34] | 1,500,000+ | 2,231,385+ |
4 | Star Fox 64 | Nintendo 64 | 373,479 [35] | 1,500,000+ | 1,873,479+ |
5 | Super Mario 64 | Nintendo 64 | 361,302 [35] | 1,500,000+ | 1,861,302+ |
6 | Diddy Kong Racing | Nintendo 64 | 217,259 [36] | 1,500,000+ | 1,717,259+ |
7 | Derby Stallion | PlayStation | 1,581,138 [35] | — | 1,581,138 |
8 | Minna no Golf (Everybody's Golf) | PlayStation | 1,327,000 [37] | — | 1,327,000 |
9 | Final Fantasy Tactics | PlayStation | 1,239,000 [37] | — | 1,239,000 |
10 | SaGa Frontier | PlayStation | 1,057,263 [35] | — | 1,057,263 |
In the United States, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1997. [38] [39] [40]
Rank | Title | Platform | Developer | Publisher | Genre | Sales [31] [32] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mario Kart 64 | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Kart racing | 1,500,000+ |
2 | Star Fox 64 | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Rail shooter | 1,500,000+ |
3 | Super Mario 64 | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Platformer | 1,500,000+ |
4 | Diddy Kong Racing | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Rare | Kart racing | 1,500,000+ |
5 | GoldenEye 007 | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Nintendo | FPS | 1,500,000+ |
6 | Final Fantasy VII | PlayStation | Squaresoft | Sony | RPG | 1,500,000+ [32] |
7 | NFL GameDay 98 | PlayStation | Sony Interactive | Sony | Sports | Unknown |
8 | Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire | Nintendo 64 | LucasArts | Nintendo | Action | Unknown |
9 | Madden NFL 98 | PlayStation | Tiburon Entertainment | EA Sports | Sports | Unknown |
10 | Crash Bandicoot | PlayStation | Naughty Dog | Sony | Platformer | Unknown |
In Japan, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1997.
Rank | Title | Platform | Developer | Publisher | Genre | Sales | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / Blue | Game Boy | Game Freak | Nintendo | RPG | 3,995,988 | [34] |
2 | Final Fantasy VII | PlayStation | Squaresoft | Squaresoft | RPG | 3,447,500+ | [33] |
3 | Derby Stallion | PlayStation | ASCII | ASCII | Simulation | 1,581,138 | [35] |
4 | Minna no Golf (Everybody's Golf) | PlayStation | Camelot Software Planning | Sony | Sports | 1,327,000 | [37] |
5 | Final Fantasy Tactics | PlayStation | Squaresoft | Squaresoft | SRPG | 1,239,000 | |
6 | SaGa Frontier | PlayStation | Squaresoft | Squaresoft | RPG | 1,057,263 | [35] |
7 | Gran Turismo | PlayStation | Polys Entertainment | Sony | Racing simulation | 905,000 | [37] |
8 | Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi | Game Boy | Tom Create | Bandai | Breeding simulation | 808,000 | |
9 | Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon | PlayStation | Squaresoft | Squaresoft | Roguelike | 801,000 | |
10 | PaRappa the Rapper | PlayStation | NanaOn-Sha | Sony | Rhythm | 761,621 | [34] |
In Europe, the following titles were the top-selling home video games of each month in 1997.
Month(s) | United Kingdom | France | |
---|---|---|---|
January | Die Hard Trilogy (PlayStation) [41] | Unknown | |
February | Cool Boarders (PlayStation) [42] | ||
March | Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64) [43] | ||
April | Wave Race 64 (Nintendo 64) [44] | Micro Machines V3 (PlayStation) [45] | |
May | Soul Blade (PlayStation) [46] | ||
June | Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64) [47] | ||
July | International Superstar Soccer 64 (Nintendo 64) [48] | ||
August–September | V-Rally (PlayStation) [49] [50] | ||
October | Formula 1 97 (PlayStation) [51] | Lylat Wars (Nintendo 64) [52] | |
November | Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation) [53] | ||
December | FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 (PlayStation, PC) [54] | ||
1997 | Tomb Raider 2 [55] |
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Release | Title | Windows / DOS | 4th Gen | 5th Gen | Handheld | Arcade |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 3 | Diablo | Yes | — | PS1 (1998) | — | — |
January 14 | Tengai Makyō: Daiyon no Mokushiroku | — | — | Sat | — | — |
January 31 | Final Fantasy VII | 1998 | — | PS1 | — | — |
February 5 | DoDonPachi | — | — | Sat (September 18), PS1 (1998) | — | Yes |
February 10 | Mario Kart 64 | — | — | N64 | — | — |
February 27 | The Lost Vikings 2 | April 30 | SNES | PS1 (May), Sat (May) | — | — |
February 28 | Blast Corps | — | — | N64 | — | — |
February 28 | Independence Day | Yes | — | PS1, Sat | — | — |
February 28 | Mega Man 8 | — | — | PS1, Sat | — | — |
February 28 | Turok: Dinosaur Hunter | November 30 | — | N64 | — | — |
February 28 | Interstate '76 | Yes | — | — | — | — |
March 20 | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night | — | — | PS1, Sat (1998) | — | — |
March 20 | Tekken 3 | — | — | PS1 (1998) | — | Yes |
March 24 | Realms of the Haunting (NA) | Yes | ||||
March 26 | Vandal Hearts | — | — | PS1, Sat (November 27) | — | — |
March 30 | The Last Express | Yes | — | — | — | — |
March 31 | Need for Speed II | Yes | — | PS1 | — | — |
April 7 | Outlaws | Yes | — | — | — | — |
April 7 | Redneck Rampage | Yes | — | — | — | — |
April 30 | Fighters Megamix | — | — | Sat | Game.com (1998) | — |
April 30 | Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter | Yes | — | — | — | — |
May 21 | Blood | Yes | — | — | — | — |
May 31 | MDK | Yes | — | PS1 (1998) | — | — |
June 10 | Ecstatica II | Yes | ||||
June 17 | Harvest Moon | — | SNES | — | — | — |
June 20 | Sonic Jam | — | — | Sat | Game.com (1998) | — |
June 20 | Final Fantasy Tactics | — | — | PS1 | — | — |
June 26 | Dungeon Keeper | Yes | — | — | — | — |
June 30 | Star Fox 64 | — | — | N64 | — | — |
July 4 | Jane's 688(I) Hunter/Killer | Yes | — | — | — | — |
July 28 | The King of Fighters '97 | — | Neo, NeoCD | PS1, Sat (1998) | — | Yes |
July 30 | Carmageddon | Yes | — | PS1 (1999), N64 (2000) | GBC (2000) | — |
July 31 | Herc's Adventures | — | — | PS1, Sat | — | — |
July 31 | Warlords III: Reign of Heroes | Yes | — | — | — | — |
August 1 | Mega Man X4 | 1999 | — | PS1, Sat | — | — |
August 11 | Tetrisphere | — | — | N64 | — | — |
August 25 | GoldenEye 007 | — | — | N64 | — | — |
August 25 | Shadow Warrior | Yes | — | — | — | — |
August 26 | Madden NFL 98 | Yes | — | PS1, Sat | — | — |
August 31 | Imperialism | Yes | — | — | — | — |
September 9 | Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire | Yes | ||||
September 10 | Silhouette Mirage | — | — | Sat, PS1 (1998) | — | — |
September 11 | Breath of Fire III | — | — | PS1 | — | — |
September 11 | Hexen II | Yes | — | — | — | — |
September 17 | Resident Evil | Yes | ||||
September 18 | Street Fighter Collection | — | — | Sat, PS1 (October 23) | — | — |
September 19 | Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee | Yes | — | PS1 | — | — |
September 24 | Ultima Online | Yes | — | — | — | — |
September 24 | Postal | Yes | — | — | — | — |
September 26 | Bomberman 64 | — | — | N64 | — | — |
September 26 | LEGO Island | Yes | — | — | — | — |
September 29 | Croc: Legend of the Gobbos | Yes | — | PS1, Sat | — | — |
September 30 | Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far | Yes | — | — | — | — |
September 30 | Fallout | Yes | — | — | — | — |
September 30 | Panzer General II | Yes | — | — | — | — |
September 30 | Poy Poy | — | — | PS1 | — | — |
September 30 | Total Annihilation | Yes | — | — | — | — |
October | Combat Chess | Yes | — | — | — | — |
October 9 | Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II | Yes | — | — | — | — |
October 15 | Age of Empires | Yes | — | — | — | — |
October 15 | Mortal Kombat 4 | 1998 | — | N64, PS1 (1998) | GBC (1998) | Yes |
October 23 | Steep Slope Sliders | — | — | Sat | — | 1998 |
October 28 | Shipwreckers | Yes | — | PS1 | — | — |
October 29 | Riven | Yes | — | Sat, PS1 (November 30) | — | — |
October 30 | Culdcept | — | — | Sat, PS1 (1999) | — | — |
October 31 | The Curse of Monkey Island | Yes | — | — | — | — |
October 31 | Zork: Grand Inquisitor | Yes | — | — | — | — |
November | Independence War | Yes | — | — | — | — |
November 1 | Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back | — | — | PS1 | — | — |
November 1 | Shock Troopers | — | Neo | — | — | Yes |
November 4 | Colony Wars | — | — | PS1 | — | — |
November 14 | Blade Runner | Yes | — | — | — | — |
November 17 | Sonic R | 1998 | — | Sat | — | — |
November 18 | Tomb Raider II | Yes | — | PS1 | — | — |
November 21 | Diddy Kong Racing | — | — | N64 | — | — |
November 21 | Worms 2 | Yes | — | — | — | — |
November 25 | Myth: The Fallen Lords | Yes | — | — | — | — |
November 27 | Kirby's Dream Land 3 | — | SNES | — | — | — |
November 27 | Grand Theft Auto | Yes | — | PS1 (December 12) | GBC (1999) | — |
November 30 | FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 | Yes | — | N64, PS1, Sat | — | — |
November 30 | One | — | — | PS1 | — | — |
November 30 | Wing Commander: Prophecy | Yes | — | — | — | — |
November 30 | WCW vs. nWo: World Tour | — | — | N64 | — | — |
December | Puzzle Bobble 4 | — | — | PS1, Sat (1998) | — | Yes |
December 6 | Quake II | Yes | — | PS1, N64 (1999) | — | — |
December 11 | Klonoa: Door to Phantomile | — | — | PS1 | — | — |
December 18 | Grandia | — | — | Sat, PS1 (1999) | — | — |
December 18 | Mega Man Legends | 2001 | — | PS1, N64 (2000) | — | — |
December 21 | Yoshi's Story | — | — | N64 | — | — |
December 23 | Gran Turismo | — | — | PS1 | — | — |
December 31 | Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero | — | — | N64 | — | — |
Out Run is an arcade driving video game released by Sega in September 1986. It is known for its pioneering hardware and graphics, nonlinear gameplay, a selectable soundtrack with music composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi, and the hydraulic motion simulator deluxe arcade cabinet. The goal is to avoid traffic and reach one of five destinations.
2003 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Tony Hawk's Underground, Madden NFL 2004, NBA Live 2004, ESPN NBA Basketball, Saya no Uta: The Song of Saya, Final Fantasy X-2, Mario Kart: Double Dash, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Sonic Heroes, Postal 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, and WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain. New intellectual properties included Beyond Good & Evil, Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand, Call of Duty, Disgaea, Drakengard, Manhunt, PlanetSide, TrackMania, True Crime: Streets of LA, and Viewtiful Joe.
2001 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Madden NFL 2002, NBA Live 2002, NBA 2K2, WWF Smackdown! Just Bring It, Capcom vs. SNK 2,Dead or Alive 3, Final Fantasy X, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, Grand Theft Auto III, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Myst III: Exile, Crazy Taxi 2, SSX Tricky, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Sonic Adventure 2, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, and Virtua Fighter 4. New intellectual properties include Ace Attorney, Advance Wars,Animal Crossing, Burnout, Gothic, Black & White, Devil May Cry, Fatal Frame, Ghost Recon,Halo, Jak and Daxter, Max Payne, Oni, Onimusha: Warlords, Operation Flashpoint, Pikmin, Pro Evolution Soccer, Red Faction, Serious Sam, and Tropico.
The year 2000 saw the release of numerous video games as well as the launch of the PlayStation 2. Critically acclaimed games originally released in 2000 include sequels such as Madden NFL 2001, NBA Live 2001, NBA 2K1, WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, Baldur's Gate II, Diablo II, Dragon Quest VII, Final Fantasy IX, Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, NFL 2K1, Resident Evil – Code: Veronica, Spyro: Year of the Dragon, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, along with new intellectual properties such as Deus Ex, Jet Set Radio, Perfect Dark, Skies of Arcadia, The Sims, SSX, Vagrant Story, and Sin and Punishment. The year's best-selling home video games worldwide were Pokémon games for the third year in a row, while the highest-grossing arcade game in Japan was Virtua Striker 2.
1999 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Heroes of Might and Magic III, System Shock 2, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Final Fantasy VIII, Age of Empires II, Crash Team Racing, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!, Grand Theft Auto 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Chrono Cross, Unreal Tournament, Pokémon Gold and Silver, and Donkey Kong 64, along with new titles such as Super Smash Bros., Silent Hill, Syphon Filter, Driver, EverQuest, Homeworld, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Planescape: Torment.
1998 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as F-Zero X, Marvel vs. Capcom, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Resident Evil 2, Metal Gear Solid, Glover, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Gex: Enter the Gecko, Fallout 2, Return to Krondor and Tomb Raider III, along with new titles such as Banjo-Kazooie, Half-Life, MediEvil, Radiant Silvergun, Spyro the Dragon, StarCraft and Xenogears.
1996 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Super Mario 64, Duke Nukem 3D, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Super Mario RPG, King's Field III, Virtua Fighter 3, along with new titles such as Blazing Heroes, NiGHTS into Dreams..., Crash Bandicoot, Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, Resident Evil, Dead or Alive, Quake and Tomb Raider.
1995 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Dragon Quest VI, Mega Man 7, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, and Tekken 2, along with new titles such as Mario's Picross, Battle Arena Toshinden, Chrono Trigger, Rayman, Soul Edge, Twisted Metal, Star Wars: Dark Forces, Destruction Derby, Wipeout and Jumping Flash!
1994 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, Final Fantasy VI, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Virtua Fighter 2 and Doom II, along with new titles such as Daytona USA, Ace Driver, Alpine Racer and Tekken.
1993 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden, Mortal Kombat II, Secret of Mana, and Super Street Fighter II, alongside new titles such as Star Fox, FIFA International Soccer, Doom, Gunstar Heroes, Myst, Samurai Shodown, Ridge Racer, NBA Jam, Disney's Aladdin, and Virtua Fighter.
1992 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Dragon Quest V, Final Fantasy V, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, and Super Mario Kart, along with new titles such as Art of Fighting, Lethal Enforcers, Mortal Kombat and Virtua Racing.
1991 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Street Fighter II, Final Fantasy IV, Super Castlevania IV, Mega Man 4, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, along with new titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Battletoads, Lemmings, Sunset Riders, Duke Nukem, Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, and Streets of Rage. The year's highest-grossing video game worldwide was Capcom's arcade fighting game Street Fighter II. The year's best-selling system was the Game Boy for the second year in a row, while the year's best-selling home video game was Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog, which was also the year's top video game rental in the United States.
1990 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Dr. Mario, Dragon Quest IV, Final Fantasy III, Phantasy Star II, and Super Mario World, along with new titles such as Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light and Magic Sword. The year's highest-grossing arcade video games were Final Fight in Japan and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the United States. The year's best‑selling system was the Game Boy, while the year's best-selling home video game was Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
1989 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Phantasy Star II, Super Mario Land, Super Monaco GP, along with new titles such as Big Run, Bonk's Adventure, Final Fight, Golden Axe, Strider, Hard Drivin' and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The year also saw the release of the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx-16 in North America, and the Game Boy worldwide along with Tetris and Super Mario Land.
1988 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Dragon Quest III, Super Contra, Super Mario Bros. 2, Mega Man 2, Double Dragon II: The Revenge, and Super Mario Bros. 3, along with new titles such as Assault, Altered Beast, Capcom Bowling, Ninja Gaiden, RoboCop, Winning Run and Chase H.Q.
1987 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Dragon Quest II, Final Lap, and Zelda II, along with new titles such as After Burner, Contra, Double Dragon, Final Fantasy, Mega Man, Metal Gear, Operation Wolf, Phantasy Star, Shinobi, Street Fighter and The Last Ninja. The Legend of Zelda was also introduced outside of Japan.
1986 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Super Mario Bros. 2, along with new titles such as Arkanoid, Bubble Bobble, Castlevania, Dragon Quest, Ikari Warriors, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Out Run and R.B.I. Baseball. The year's highest-grossing arcade video games were Hang-On in Japan, Hang-On and Gauntlet in the United States, and Nemesis (Gradius) in London. The year's best‑selling home system was the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom) for the third year in a row, while the year's best-selling home video games in Western markets were Super Mario Bros. in the United States and Yie Ar Kung-Fu in the United Kingdom.
1985 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Super Mario Bros. and Kung Fu, along with new titles such as Commando, Duck Hunt, Gauntlet, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Gradius, Hang-On, Space Harrier, Tetris and The Way of the Exploding Fist. The year's highest-grossing arcade video games were Hang-On and Karate Champ in the United States, and Commando in the United Kingdom. The year's best‑selling home system was the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom) for the second year in a row, while the year's best‑selling home video game was Super Mario Bros.
Virtua Fighter 2 is a 1994 fighting video game developed by Sega. It is the sequel to Virtua Fighter (1993), and the second game in the Virtua Fighter series. It was created by Sega's Yu Suzuki-headed AM2 and was released for arcades in 1994. Ports were released for the Sega Saturn in 1995 and Microsoft Windows in 1997.
Square's Final Fantasy VII software has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest selling Playstation software.
Last month Final Fantasy VII hit the stores and sold 1.5 million copies the first week.
Source: The NPD TRSTS Video Game Tracking Service, The NPD Group, Inc., Port Washington, NY; ranked by units sold