The 10th Hour 2.22.08: Top 10 Most Important Franchises of the 90s

Posted by Derek Robbins on 02.22.2008

Video games are more popular today than they ever have been, but how did we get where we are? Which games helped to shape our landscape? 411's Derek Robbins breaks down the top 10 franchises to come out in the 90s.

Hello and welcome to this week's 10th hour! Before I get started, there are a couple of things that I wish to hit on.

-There are a little over two weeks until Brawl comes out. That means there will be two more tenth hours between now and then. So, in anticipation of…possibly the biggest first party Nintendo game of this millennium, I've decided that the next two weeks will comprise of Brawl related lists. Next week will be the top-10 best games characters from Brawl have appeared in. The Thursday before Brawl is released will be…well, it'll be the top-10 things about the Smash Brothers Franchise. I realize it's a lot of love to give one game in particular…but hey, we all have our favorites. I guarantee you it'd be even worse if Mother 3 got localized.

-Game Informer gave No More Heroes a 6 out of 10. I normally don't care about review scores, but GI cited THE BOSS FIGHTS as an issue. Wow. NMH has possibly the best boss fights OF ALL TIME. I don't view this as a valid complaint at all. I guess GI enjoys their casual games a bit too much.

-Man, the Orioles just won't give my Cubs Roberts yet, will they? It's getting pretty annoying to be quite honest. If we can't get him prior to Spring Training, hopefully we can net him at the all-star break.

Alright, that's enough of that. There is no feedback this week because my brother filled in for me. It'd be kinda hard to answer questions/comments aimed at him when I have no idea what is going through his mind. So sorry! I would like to share a brief exert from a mail I got in my inbox though.

This is from Christopher

By the way, I just played through Earthbound again for like the ninth or tenth time (since Thanksgiving 1995); every year (give or take), it's like a tradition. I play the game again. It's still awesome.

I am just like you. I beat Earthbound yearly and thoroughly enjoy myself each and every time. I would wager that the final fight against Giygas is perhaps the finest boss battle of all time. It tugs on your emotions and…when you finally take him down, it feels really good. The combat may not hold up today, but damn…the story and the themes of this game hold up astonishingly well and I think everyone who considers themselves a true gamer owes it to themselves to at least play this game.

Hopefully Nintendo will release this on Virtual Console so Wii owners can experience this game. Of course, you could always play this game, err…less than legally…but you wouldn't want to do that, would ya'?

Top 10 Most important franchises of the nineties

Games sure have come a long way since when I was growing up. How did we get here though? How did our genres get to be the way they are? Well, I think if we look at the past…we can gain some insight on what we have today. So I have come up with what I believe are the top-10 franchises of the nineties. Please note that I said FRANCHISE, which implies more than one game. So anyone who whines about the lack of Goldeneye (And though I think the game is over-rated, I'm not foolish enough to call it un-important. I'd wager to say it was one of the most important games released on the N64) or Starcraft please remember that.

As always, the rule is that the franchise has to have seen light in America. DURING the nineties. This would disqualify a franchise such as Fire Emblem.

Anyhow, let's get started.

10-) Gran Turismo - Gran Turismo was one of the first realistic racing games out there, and what helped it gain popularity was that not only was it trying to be as authentic as possible…but it was also trying to be as good of a game as it possibly can be. Some games really lose it when it comes to realism versus fun (see the most recent Madden games which have really lost something, I feel). At the time, I felt that racing was mostly limited to Kart racers or really…cartoony racing games. This was the first realistic racing game that got some mainstream appeal and deserves a lot of credit for that. The racing games of today really owe a lot to the Gran Turismo franchise.

- The Gran Turismo franchise is looking rather realistic these days.

9-) Resident Evil - This is the game that really put Survival Horror on the map. Before this, games weren't really meant to scare you. Sure, there were some ‘scary' games…but usually those games were too cartoony to really scare the player. Resident Evil changed all of this. At the time, it felt like they were bringing Zombie Movies to life…and that is just really damn cool. What made Resident Evil unique was its really peculiar control system. It felt like you were operating a tank at times...which can actually add to the fear, because you know something is wrong, but you can't immediately react to it the way that you would wish. It's weird. The Resident Evil franchise also has a really cool plot – even though the original was marred by some hilariously bad vocal work – and today is one of the most revered franchises out there. While there are several other quality Survival Horror titles out there, I think Resident Evil is the franchise that gamers will remember most fondly in the end.

- I actually prefer this to the tank-like Resident Evil. I must be weird.

8-) Castlevania - For me, it was really a toss up between this or the Metroid franchise since both are rather similar, but in the end I went with the series that had more games from this decade. Castlevania really pioneered the adventure genre for me. While the backtracking that its games classically include can get a bit old, the emphasis of the games was to explore…and that exploration is still used in a wide variety of titles today. There were two different kinds of side-scrollers it seemed. They were either the kind that was your straight forward go from left-to-right…or they were more complex. This fit into the latter, and while simplicity can be fun while gaming…it was nice to actually have to explore your setting. While the 3D Castlevania games leave something to be desired, the side-scrolling games are perhaps the most consistently good games ever.

- Many people consider this the finest game ever made.

7-) Megaman - This is on the complete other end of the spectrum from Castlevania. It's basically your typical "go from left to right" sort of game, but it introduced something that has been used rather liberally as of late. It allowed you to choose your own path. It was a unique franchise in that, while the ending was always the same, how you got there was always different. You could always choose which robot master you wanted to play first and so on…and I feel that was really special. Sure, certain paths were better than others – especially considering some bosses held weaknesses to others – but…you could do it however you wanted, which is pretty unique. By the time Capcom released the first Megaman title of the nineties – Megaman 3 – they had really perfected the system. The levels were crisp, the music was pretty good, and…it was just a blast to play. For those of you who are wondering "why do so many people care about Megaman? When was the last time he was in a quality game?" simply look back to the nineties. For a long while, he was the man.

- This is probably the last Megaman made that I enjoyed.

6-) Final Fantasy - From an American gaming perspective, it's hard for an RPG franchise to get more relevant than Final Fantasy. Yes, there were other high quality RPGs out there for you to play – from the Dragon Quest franchise to, you knew it was coming, Earthbound – but for many of you out there, the very first RPG you put your hands on was a Final Fantasy. One in particular really popularized the genre over here. It was no longer just a dorky genre…it was acceptable. Obviously, the Final Fantasy I speak of is the seventh. While I do feel the game is…a bit over-rated, it's hard to deny the impact that it had. Thanks to that game, we got a lot of Role Playing Games released here that we may not have normally received. Before FF VII, the RPG was more of a niche genre. Only the hardest of the hardcore liked it…but after the game broke out, more people started playing and the genre got the credit it deserved. The nineties featured several great Final Fantasy titles – the apex probably being number six – and they really helped the RPG genre strive over here.



5-) Street Fighter - Without a doubt, the most important fighting franchise ever. Street Fighter 2 really revolutionized the arcade scene at the time. It was just a blast to play, and on top of that…it was pretty balanced! From a memorable cast of characters – it's probably the most recent thing to ever be referenced on the perpetually un-funny Family Guy – to a never-before-seen fighting system…if you hadn't played Street Fighter you were really missing out. If it weren't for this game (and no, I'm not suggesting something wouldn't have eventually come along)…the fighting genre may not be the way it is today. The game may not have aged terribly well – I can't really play it for more than a few minutes anymore – but it was a blast to play when it first came around. Street Fighter 3 was a large improvement over the second game. The fighting system in that game is my personal favorite ever…and the art? My gosh, the art in the game is something to be seen. The Alpha series of games was also rather good. I just hope that the fourth Street Fighter can live up to the legacy of its forefathers.

- My best character.

4-) Pokemon - Say what you will about the pokemon franchise. Call it kiddy or call it a ‘casual' game…whatever you call it, it doesn't really matter. In the nineties, for a period of time, Pokemon was hot. I mean, for a while…it seemed our economy circulated on Pikachu and friends. Honestly, the mainstream attention is probably the most I have ever seen a videogame get…but we wouldn't have gotten that attention if the game wasn't good, right? That's right. On top of a hit anime, a pretty neat trading card game, and a plethora of movies…the pokemon game was great. It allowed you to customize your own team – each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses – and tackle the world. These teams could really express your personality. Did you choose your favorites? Did you go out with a team consisting entirely of Pikachus and Eevees? Or did you choose pokemon because you thought that they were stronger? Were Raichu, Alakazam, Gengar, or Dragonite in your party? Really, the teams you chose reflected how you played and that's really neat. Pokemon continues to be popular to this day largely due to the amount of customization that you can do. If more RPGs were open-ended like pokemon…I think the videogame world would be a better place.

- Feraligatr doesn't much like that Pokemon is only number four.

3-) The Legend of Zelda - The Legend of Zelda features some of the most highly regarded games ever. Many gamers still swear that Ocarina of Time or Link to the Past are the finest games ever…and it's hard to make a case against them, honestly. Zelda features a rather unique mix of action and puzzle-solving. Not only do you need to defeat Ganon and save Princess Zelda, but you also need to use your brain. Each dungeon features clever puzzles making use of Link's various weapons. Whether you're using your new mirror shield to reflect light or you need to find a new way to press down all the switches in a room…Zelda keeps you guessing. Frequently I go: "Wow, how did I NOT get that?" when completing a puzzle. The Legend of Zelda is really a franchise that has you thinking on you feet, and if you were trying to make a case on how videogames can be beneficial…you could easily point to Zelda. Definitely the most consistent franchise out there.



2-) Sonic the Hedgehog - When you look at the quality of Sonic games now and then look at the quality of Sonic games from the nineties…it's kind of depressing. With the exception of the Rush series of Sonic games…the blue blur appears to be a shell of his former self and that's really a shame. When Sonic debuted on the Genesis, it offered an alternative to Mario. Where Mario was relatively slow, plodding, and…kind of lacking personality, Sonic was fast and full of attitude. Mario represented a more traditional side-scrolling game while Sonic represented a change. It was different and it created the best rivalry in videogame history. When you look at the Sega versus Nintendo wars, you think "Mario versus Sonic". Not "Genesis versus SNES" or "N64 versus Saturn or Dreamcast." Throughout the nineties, Sonic was in great game after great game. His games on the Genesis and Sega CD are some of the most fondly remembered games out there. For a lot of people the year 1999 marked what many considered the beginning of the end for Sonic. Sonic Adventure. Personally, I enjoyed both Sonic Adventure games…but it's hard to deny that the Sonic series has been on a steady decline since then. When Sonic is at his best, it's great for the game industry. Hopefully the DS titles – including the upcoming RPG by Bioware – continue to be top of the line…so Sonic can have perhaps a revitalization. I'm not sure whether we can trust Sonic to have another quality 3D outing, because a lot of us were hoping that "Sonic the Hedgehog" (360/PS3) would be the wake-up call the franchise needed. We all know how that went. Basically what I am saying is: Play the DS games because it's the closest we have right now to the true Sonic we know and love.

- Such simple times...

1-) Super Mario Brothers - I don't believe there is any doubt about this one. Mario was the face of Nintendo – and thus, the face of gaming – throughout the nineties. You may ask: "Why was Mario the face of Nintendo?"…and the answer is quite simple. Think of the top-5 best games for the N64, the SNES, and the NES. Odds are, on most gamers' lists, you'll have Mario 64, Super Mario World, and Super Mario Brothers 3 (and probably 1). No matter what you think of Nintendo, it's hard to deny that Mario has been the face of consistency. Hell, even his "off-shoot" games such as Mario Party and the Mario sports games don't make you want to off yourself. That's worth something, I should say. Unlike Sonic, Mario has gone well into the 3D era…so well, in fact, that many people look at Mario 64 as the game that revolutionized the platforming genre. Honestly, I'd be hard-pressed to disagree with them. The last two franchises I had mentioned are so iconic that even my grandparents have heard of them, and trust me…they are pretty out of the loop. No matter which camp you currently reside in, it's hard to imagine anyone else as number one on this list.

- Past meets present.

Honorable Mentions: Doom (I really wanted to include this game, I just couldn't fit it in, sorry!), Metroid, Warcraft, Crash Bandicoot, Star Fox, Kirby, Tomb Raider, Tekken

Well, that's it for this week. As always, if you wish to praise, complain, or what have you…send an e-mail to [e-mail] or [e-mail] Your choice. Or simply leave a comment below.

Next week, as mentioned above, is the top-10 games that characters from the Smash Brothers Brawl roster have been in. Expect an Earthbound reference!

Til' the Crossroads