LogFAQs > #876000633

1999
https://i.imgur.com/tNCxReS.jpg

Notable Games:

Donkey Kong 64
Everquest
Final Fantasy 8
Gran Turismo 2
Koudelka
Legend of Dragoon
Lunar: Silver Star Story
Ogre Battle 64
Planescape: Torment
Quake 3
Resident Evil 3
Sonic Adventure
Soul Calibur
Star Ocean 2
Suikoden 2
Super Smash Bros.
System Shock 2
The Next Tetris
Tony Hawk Pro Skater
Unreal Tournament
Vandal Hearts 2

transience's take:

1 - Suikoden 2
2 - Vandal Hearts 2
3 - Soul Calibur
4 - The Next Tetris
5 - Final Fantasy VIII

Overall: 30th

Gamerankings Top 5:

1 - Soul Calibur
2 - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
3 - Unreal Tournament
4 - Gran Turismo 2
5 - System Shock 2

GameFAQs:

1 - Final Fantasy VIII
2 - Soul Calibur
3 - WWF Wrestlemania 2000 (???)

WHAT HAPPENED? 1998 is the god tier year; 1999 is... where the hell did all the games go?! There is seriously not a single game that I legitimately like in 1999. Suikoden 2 is my #1 game and, due to divine intervention, I haven't even come close to beating it. I have Final Fantasy VIII on this list and I hate Final Fantasy VIII. It's like this black hole of quality video games descended upon us. It's baffling! 1999 is the only year where you could just throw every video game released in a black hole and I wouldn't notice it at all. At all!

Okay, 1999 isn't horrifically bad for most people. It's just me. It had some notable video games, especially in the PC space. Everquest is a major milestone for the world of MMOs. It still gets new expansions today! I just looked it up and it's on its 23rd expansion. Impressive! I've never totally understood what made Everquest tick when others did not. It's something I'd like to understand just from a history lesson perspective someday. Everquest was big amongst my circle of friends in the late 90s/early 2000s.

Unreal Tournament was big. You were either a UT guy or a Quake guy if you were doing multiplayer FPS's on PC. Of course, CS would be coming soon - technically I think CS launched in 1999 as a mod before it became its own thing next year. Quake 3 came out in 1999 too and is I think the go-to game for most Quake fans today. While not an FPS, System Shock 2 was a groundbreaking cyberpunk first person game by famed (and now defunct) developer Irrational Games. It's largely seen as the predecessor to Bioshock. PlaneScape: Torment is an isometric choice-driven RPG that's praised for its narrative while also being kind of awful to actually play.

The Playstation had its share of B-tier RPGs thanks to Square only really putting out one game. They had multiple in 98 and 2000 but 99 really only had FF8. I won't talk too in-depth about FF8 just because I'm way too biased against it. Suikoden 2 gets a lot of praise for expanding the formula of the original and adding a compelling antagonist and story. People like Lunar for some reason. Same with Legend of Dragoon, Legend of Legaia, Star Ocean 2, Koudelka.. yeah, others could sing the praises of these games but I'm lumping them together as lower-tier RPGs. The FF7 boom had its strengths but also its weaknesses. Come at me!

The Nintendo 64 was light on content. It was really just DK64 and Super Smash Bros. I've never played SSB but I bet 30 minutes with it and it's suddenly my 1999 GOTY. Ogre Battle 64 also came out in '99 - a game I should really give a look given my affinity for Tactics Ogre. I feel like I should say more about Smash Bros but I'm not really sure what - it's the logical follow-up to Mario Kart and Goldeneye. The N64 was all about four player games.
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xyzzy