ActRaiser – SNES

A very early SNES game, ActRaiser offers a bizarre mix of gameplay styles. Half of the time you will be playing a great looking 2D action platformer with somewhat rigid controls. The other half you will be playing a light city builder which quickly turns into a tower-defense shooter. There is no real reason why this should work, let alone work really well, but it does. A truly unique experience, ActRaiser is still fun today.

Earthbound – SNES

I remember the massive boxes this game was sold in, but I never got past the weird cover art to figure out what the game actually was. It turns out, it is a wonderful JRPG set in a modern western town with characters that are, mostly, quite relatable to ‘90s kids. Who knew? This is a fairly straightforward JRPG with the characters, setting, and art style being the standout features. I recently confirmed this is one of my favorite JRPGs ever, it only took me 20+ years to figure that out!

Beetle Adventure Racing – N64

There is no real reason a licensed racing game of this, or any, era should be this good. Especially one in which you can solely drive Volkswagen Beetles. Why does this exist? Nobody knows, but it is a great game because the tracks are so unique. Each one has a distinct feel to match its theme and they all feature quite a few alternate routes to discover. I won’t call them “shortcuts” because some are definitely longer than the normal path, but figuring out which ones help and which don’t is part of the fun. The racing mechanics here are fairly bare, but they are strong and serve the purpose of fueling a fun arcade racing game like this.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron – N64

I’m not sure how I missed this one as a certified Star Wars kid, but it never made its way under the Christmas tree or into a pile of birthday presents for me, so I was left to discover it much, much later. This is a Star Wars arcade flight combat game. The action is fast and frantic, with each mission having some goals to achieve before moving onto the next. This game gets pretty tough after you move along, but the challenge remains fun and this stands as one of the better 3D arcade flight combat games of the era.

Ape Escape – PS1

This is a silly early 3D platformer that tries some weird things that mostly end up working. The premise is that you have to capture a bunch of apes being controlled by mind control helmets, some of these apes will be carrying guns, by the way. Catch a few in each level to move onto the next until you meet the final boss. The game heavily features various gadgets to help catch these apes and makes use of the brand new dual analog controller by having you use those gadgets with the right thumb stick. Combine the fun premise, cool gadgets, and silly control scheme with solid level design and a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome and you have one of the better early 3D platformers.

Brave Fencer Musashi – PS1

You are Musashi, a legend summoned to help out a kingdom being threatened by a mysterious force. You are kind of a jerk, but that’s part of your charm. This is a SquareSoft 3D action adventure game which mixes a fun combat gimmick (being able to steal powers from enemies) with memorable characters and strong gameplay to create one of the best experiences in the genre of the era.

Parasite Eve – PS1

“The cinematic RPG”, as the back of the box states, Parasite Eve is a mix of Resident Evil and action-RPG elements with a very unique combat system. The system blends real time and turn based mechanics to provide something truly ahead of its time. Throw in a great story which features some truly awesome cutscenes, a heavy dose of customization in your weapons, and you’ve got a wonderful game that holds up well today.

Suikoden – PS1

Suikoden is a JRPG with some unique elements mixed in. First, you can recruit up to 108 party members. Many of them help you improve your home base while many others can be taken into battle as a part of your party. Next, the game features traditional JRPG combat, but also large scale and solo battles, both of which play out a bit like a game of rock-paper-scissors in which correctly guessing your opponent’s move will reward you with a strong turn. Wrap all of this in a good story, nice graphics, and fun, straightforward JRPG combat and you have a wonderful example of the genre.

Toy Story 2 – PS1

This is an early 3D platforming collect-a-thon in the mold of a Banjo-Kazooie. Naturally set in the Toy Story world, you play as Buzz Lightyear making your way through medium-sized levels collecting enough tokens to move onto the next. The game controls quite well and offers a fun variety of challenges in each level. Despite having never played it until a few years ago, this game still felt like instant nostalgia with the mix of Toy Story and super familiar mechanics and gameplay goals.

Vandal Hearts – PS1

Final Fantasy Tactics Lite. That is underselling this game, but it is also an appropriate enough description to properly set expectations going in. Gone are the wild customization options, replaced with extremely straightforward leveling and a few job promotion choices. What is here, however, is a really great tactical RPG anchored by strong combat. The game does well to offer interesting battlefields with interactive elements and mixing up the battle goals beyond the basic “kill everyone.” The whole package is rounded out by the infamous blood fountains which are a perfect snapshot of the edginess so many games strived for in the ‘90s.