10 Best Games Of 2002

A lot happened in 2002, didn’t it? Britney and Justin split up, Halle Berry made that reallylong speech at the Oscars, and Kelly Rowland tried to text Nelly using Microsoft Excel then got mad when he didn’t respond. For this list, we’ve trawled through the archives of both Metacritic and GameRankings to bring you the shiniest stars of the year 2002. From Super Mario Sunshine to NFL 2K3 here are the 10 Best Games Of 2002!
VO: Ashton Matthews (@ScrambledAshton)
Script: Cat Elliot (@cat_elliott_)
Video Editor: Alex Winters (@MrSteakFace)
#BestGamesof2002 #SuperMarioSunshine #NFL2K3
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[@bdgilliam7610]

You know it's a good year when number 10 starts out at 92%.

[@TheGamingSnob]

Considered one of the worst Mario’s too.

[@gladiatorscoops4907]

Ah the early 00s were the golden age of gaming. I was so lucky - 19 years old, no gf, tons of mates, just got a full time job but still lived at home, so had an absolute load of money and time to buy and play games on my own or with friends. Roll on 20 years the AAA industry is in an absolute mess and I've managed about an hours gaming in the last week.

[@feeamerie5011]

I was 33 and at the time newly married. We both worked so had a good games disposable income as she was a gamer too.

[@Makman1994]

007 Nightfire PS2, Lord of the Rings Two Towers, Timesplitters 2 and the Spider-Man 2002 PS2 game were brilliant.

[@eternalfailure4081]

The number of Tom Clancy video games is impressive considering he died in 2013

[@LaRavachole]

And they only keep on coming.

[@ttin0]

Just look at all the books too. Nuts

[@father042]

Surprised that Mafia didn't even make it to the list

[@maxtres764]

True

[@njk3498]

I always forget that people that aren't in the US are utterly baffled by our football rules. I feel the same about cricket

[@RespectTheLogos3]

For others: Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - #20 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - #39 Battlefield 1942 - #46 Mafia - #51 Ratchet & Clank - #56 Animal Crossing - #72 Kingdom Hearts - #89

[@Underratedcomedi]

Kelly Rowland texting on excel … I miss the 00s

[@tychodragon]

I shit my pants as a kid booting up Warcraft 3 every Saturday morning

[@ascfde]

I smell a ranking Tom Clancy games video coming up

[@panterarosa4325]

This marked the year that oblivion started development after morrowind which was released in 2006 for pc and xbox 360 along with a beautiful and well made ps3 port in 2007 what an amazing game

[@evolancer211]

Man the NFL2K series was amazing. The first person view, chef's kiss

[@Realunmaker]

You could do a quick honorable mention to the ports and rereleases you talk about in the beginning of the video, now I'm curious.

[@ttin0]

God I'd be so down for a THPS3-THPS4-THUG HD Compilation.

[@bdgilliam7610]

Always happy to see a new TripleJump list video pop up. Good times.

[@Nbflowers1989]

Love the content! 2002. Now we are getting into the nostalgia!

[@leramar]

So glad I cracked WC3 so I don't have to play the reforged version.

[@rodolfohernandez3303]

I was 12 years old in 2002, the games i've played back then was 007 Nightfire on the PC, Spider Man The Movie , FIFA 2002 and of course GTA Vice City. Really got addicted to GTA Vice City along side with my older brother RIP both of us playing the game until 10 or 11 PM.

[@ABlueyFan]

Sorry to hear about you and your brother’s deaths.

[@coca-colatrackhousewarrior9925]

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is a great 2002 game

[@lcoyle1998]

Still hate using metacritic as your barometer for game quality...

[@SvenElven]

For perspective, Ashton was 4 years old in 2002 😅

[@bensonsj98]

Same.

[@LaRavachole]

And I was 2, now am 23. Funny how time works, innit? Specially since I grew up to enjoy a good chunk of these older titles years after their release, some even recently like Bloodrayne and Freedom Fighters (both re-released for PC in 2020).

[@MarysAbyss]

I got my original Xbox when I was 12 and my first games were whacked, jet set radio future, and vexx. Never beat vexx but I beat the 1's and 0's out of jsrf and whacked. I ended up completing and beating jsrf 20 times since I got it way back in 2002. Also played Silent Hill 2 on the Xbox back then as well. Lovely times no doubt

[@bensonsj98]

RIP Warcraft III. What Reforged did to you should be consider a warcrime (III).

[@jonathanrendon8579]

Was there Madden footage during NFL 2k3 on purpose????

[@EmmaCosgrove123]

My personal favourite games of 2002 are Drakan: The Ancients Gates & Pirates: The legend of Black Kat. Such a great year for rpg's on the PS2!

[@feeamerie5011]

Game cube smashing 2002 with exclusives in the top ten! 🫶

[@Cuzjudd]

The texting using Excel lmaoooooooooo 😂

[@joshuaweston6531]

Metroid Prime...god I miss that game...

[@aza.ak1ra]

It was a god tier game. I never finished it though. I think it's a masterpiece, but my ADHD mind got too tired of backtracking and getting stuck in places where you have to figure out some weird enigmatic solution to go further. Still, great game. One of the best audiovisuals EVER. It still holds up graphically.

[@CrazeeAdam]

I keep waiting for a remake of Eternal Darkness. But.....it never happens

[@barkley8285]

3. Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast 2. Warcraft 3: The Reign of Chaos 1. Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind

[@NoMorePodDes]

Just cut to madden footage for half the 2k3 segment 😂

[@Justforvisit]

7:02 I still have this game and it just looks amazingly good and plays pretty damn well too, judging by its graphical prowess alone it could easily have been an early PS3 title, long before the PS3 even was a thing. Hell, even some ACTUAL PS3 games look worse than this contender......rank well deserved here!

[@brycestrife5605]

You gave it to metroid? Thank you. The prime series is spectacular and I can't wait for prime 4

[@demonreturns4336]

they didn't give anything to metroid they were just going by low to highest review score wise 🙄

[@Roboterpunk]

Wow, Games were so good back then. The golden age.

[@sirswanky488]

YES so happy to see Metroid Prime number 1

[@tec5x5]

damn good year of gameing

[@JustanOlGuy]

Ashton saying takes you back and she was 4 yrs old in 2002.lol. good work.

[@fulgenzio89]

There were a lot of good/great AA title. Now the middle budget games are almost extinct

[@BlankSpace14]

The background music was pretty loud right? Maybe it was just on my end but it seemed sorta distracting

[@Jessejesselewis]

The sanity meter I think overshadows the best feature of the game; having multiple stories allowed them to have a large mix of endings. They could end a story in unsatisfactory fashion for a full game but felt jarring and shocking for the short story style.

[@currychips]

If you based your lists on your own opinions rather than what's happening on metacritic, surely you'd rank Timesplitters 2 at number 1.

[@j.pearce3981]

lol why does the NFL 2K3 footage include ....the nebraska cornhuskers?

[@localwizardmagicservice]

Music is so loud !

[@dylanogg347]

Hail to the Nintendo Gamecube fellas.

[@dylanogg347]

And Hail Robo-Hawk.

[@pessie83]

Is this a reupload or a new video, Triplejump?

[@fletcherstaerkel8057]

Hope you all are still keeping strong!!! Keep on it team TJ!

[@Dr._J]

"The Madden series peaked with Madden 2003" No it didn't 😐

[@mindphaserxy]

Metroid Prime. /end of list

[@user-ok8yq6nc6x]

No morrowind and no jet set radio future. Lame

[@Marc_Araujo]

...I think you guys forgot to include the Wind Waker.

[@metalbudsgaming8371]

I can't believe Sunshine has a 92%. That game is just as jank as 3D sonic games. I guess having Mario in a game gives you a 20% bump.

[@Marc_Araujo]

What boggles my mind is that Super Mario Sunshine made this list at #10 and the Wind Waker is nowhere to be found.

[@leecroft7311]

Sunshine was/is rubbish, poor game especially for a 3d Mario game.

[@Marc_Araujo]

@@leecroft7311 I don't think Sunshine is a terrible game at all but I do think that Luigi's Mansion is much better overall...I'd pick Luigi's Mansion to play over Sunshine 9/10 times.

[@CrowTRobot]

@@Marc_Araujo Wind Waker was released in 2003 in all territories but Japan. Even in Japan, it was released at the end of 2002. It will def be in the 2003 list.

[@jasonfairhurst7401]

lol i still have original warcraft 3 i didnt link it to battlenet

[@adamrenfrow]

Damn good year.

[@Mark_redfeild]

I grew up whith mafia 1

[@calebva4476]

I'm struggling to come to terms with the fact that pretty much any of these games ranked higher than super Mario Sunshine. I mean, football games? Splinter cell? Idk man, reviewers must have been smoking, because Sunshine is straight up gaming nirvana

[@tuantuoitan]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 2002 was a year of significant events, including Britney and Justin's split and Halle Berry's Oscars speech. 00:29 This list includes the 10 Best Games of 2002 based on professional reviews and release criteria. 01:25 Super Mario Sunshine received praise for its graphics, level design, and introduction of the F.L.U.D.D. 02:20 Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem impressed with its story, graphics, and unique ways of scaring players. 03:42 NFL 2K3 offered a great American football experience with improved features and gameplay. 04:38 Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos received universal acclaim for its story, design, and soundtrack. 06:05 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell was a hit, praised for its stealth mechanics, graphics, and audio. 07:03 Virtua Fighter 4 was a well-balanced fighting game with top-notch graphics and animations. 08:24 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 introduced new tricks and improved Career mode. 09:45 NFL 2003 featured improved graphics, online multiplayer, and an impressive soundtrack. 10:41 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was developed in just nine months and received critical acclaim. 12:06 Metroid Prime was highly praised for its transition to 3D and various gameplay elements. Made with HARPA AI

[@bodacious117]

lol they put ncaa footage in there with nfl 2k3 hahahahaha

[@judah_macabe]

As well as madden

[@HanDaimond]

Super Mario Sunshine is the most unfun Mario game I've ever played along with Mario Fun With Numbers. Never liked the water spray mechanic, tried to be Mario 64 2 instead of being something better like Galaxy.

[@Ratchetti]

Metroid Prime looks like the most boring game ever

[@brandonizaguirre2963]

2 NFL titles being on this list is an absolute joke 🤣

[@NikkiTrip]

Just my personal thoughts, but these lists are kinda boring if all you're doing is looking at data online instead of giving your own opinions.

[@MarcosCodas]

I love the video, love the narration, but I would really appreciate capturing newer footage using modern means. I'm watching this on my computer and those archive gameplay videos have aged quite poorly.

[@localwizardmagicservice]

Who cares

[@tylerd5111]

Her voice hurts my ears, I can’t be the only one

[@listerofsmeg884]

Why do you insist on elevator music playing throughout these ?! It's not only extremely irritating, having nothing whatsoever to do with the content, but also muffles Ashley's already iffy annunciation.

[@venomf14b34]

where is the original voice????? i dont like this voice

[@leecroft7311]

I loved Super Mario 64 but Super Mario Sunshine... not nearly so much, actually (still till this day) i think it's rather poo.

[@RyanAnthonyDigitalMedia]

Referring to the plot in a Mario game as “a spot of bother” is the most British thing I’ve ever heard

[@Valkian24]

Great vid but the music audio was a bit too loud.

[@Djordje_Jovanovic]

Another helluva year for gaming! & of course some honorable mentions: 007: Nightfire Age of Mythology Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance BloodRayne Burnout 2: Point of Impact Dark Cloud 2 (aka Dark Chronicle) Dragon Ball Z Budokai Fatal Frame (aka Project Zero) Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets (all versions) Kingdom Hearts Mafia Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (consoles) Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Medal of Honor: Frontline Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance NBA Street Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny Pokémon Ruby/Pokémon Sapphire Ratchet & Clank Resident Evil Remake Rocky Sly Cooper & the Thevious Raccoonus Spider-Man (aka Spider-Man: The Movie) Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast Star Wars: The Clone Wars Tekken 4 (PS2) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers The Mark of Kri TimeSplitters 2

[@bdgilliam7610]

Damn.

[@bensonsj98]

Wow.

[@cake8211]

Crazy compared to gaming these days.

[@malachor5ve]

Some excellent games came out that year holy hell

[@holty1314]

Kingdom Hearts?

[@tidepoolclipper8657]

Sunshine is painfully very meh for 3D Mario standards. Honestly, whatever you do, don't go for 100% in the game. The reward for it is hardly worthwhile and stuff like the watermelon festival, lily pad ride, and ESPECIALLY pachinko machine (Sunshine physics at their worst) need to be avoided at all costs (I wish the same could be said for Corona Mountain, but that is sadly a mandatory story level).

[@punk_rock_music_teacher]

Spent many a 12th grade night playing THPS3 and Melee with my friends. Lots of Mountain Dew code red 😂

[@ethanbenfield2285]

Madden 2003 was my childhood, that soundtrack is perfect.

[@michaelkeller5927]

I was listening to some of those old soundtracks on KZbin. The good old days

[@catriamflockentanz]

8:06 Is it? The last time Capcom had rereleased SF2 was probably just a few months ago... And about 30 times since then.

[@krasoos7501]

It's extremely insane! Ranking Warcraft 3 at #7 and GTA Vice City at #2 is simply criminal! These games are timeless classics, each groundbreaking in its own right and pivotal in shaping the gaming landscape. some of the best games ever created which are absolutely amazing to this day!!!a😡😡

[@RyanAspinner]

Am I the only one who noticed the NCAA Nebraska/Miami gameplay footage used during NFL 2k3? lmao

[@britneyspearsvillarosa]

WWE SmackDown Shut Your Mouth PS2 is one of the best games of 2002

[@james2529]

Vice city, still my favourite GTA game

[@demonreturns4336]

You know that's a feat rockstar can NEVER accomplish again releasing GTA games back to back years

[@judah_macabe]

Now let's talk about nfl2k3....and then show mostly Madden

[@panterarosa4325]

You also forgot test drive overdrive for ps2 which is cool but still not a great racing game but a good game with amazing graphics for that year

[@FatNorthernBigot]

I was busy owning "Snake" in 2002. I realise that that was an odd sentence.

[@purefoldnz3070]

one GTA per year? What is this sorcery? Now its over a decade.

[@dimahsworld2023]

😁👍👍👍

[@aliensweathands]

👽

[@williamsmith666]

Sunshine, one of the best? Absolutely not.

[@mrcolinwee]

Get my plumbers name out of your mouth!

[@dylanfitz8652]

Ay i was born this year

[@kingbaco1233]

List hella spotty at best

[@yourgameisstupid]

The fact that Mario Sunshine has a 92% on Metacritic just shows that Nintendo games get some kind undeserved premium. It deserves more like an 82%. This also suggests that comparing Metascores across platforms isn't valid since they're being judged according to different standards and criteria.