1998: The Greatest Year in Gaming

The history of video games features no short supply of noteworthy years, but one in particular stands atop the mountain. With a massive list of classics pressed into this short window of time over several platforms, including the PlayStation and Nintendo 64, 1998 has proven to be the most important and influential year in the industry's existence.
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➤ CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction: The Gaming Industry in the Late 90s
10:13 The Big List: January - February
20:48 The Big List: March - June
35:12 The Big List: July - September
50:58 The Big List: October - December
1:11:59 Closing and Honorable Mentions
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#MetalGearSolid #LegendofZelda #StarCraft

[@jondellinger3367]

I was 10. Best years of my life. Late night Goldeneye tournaments, watching scrambled fuzzy spicy movies on HBO and Southpark.

[@based_circuit]

Man, I never hear people talk about watching the scrambled spicy channels lol. Watching channel 99 with the tv muted in my room at night hoping to catch a glimpse of a boob for half a second.

[@sonnyantoine27]

Brooo, so many memories of me watching fuzzy Bigger Longer and Uncut and getting my mind blown for what I deemed a ‘cartoon’ at that time actually had as content. I will never forget how I almost puked of laughter when I saw Cartman’s mom scene

[@mr.kumar1]

I was 11, same, and also, star wars, Zelda, 90's movies, x files, music of 90's, quake, doom

[@randybobandy9828]

I was also 10. It was awesome, I remember getting a Gameboy color and Zelda 64.

[@polycube868]

South Park kicks ass!

[@dangertsuchinoko1686]

"1998... ill never forget it" ~ Leon S. Kennedy (2004, Resident Evil 4)

[@AstralWolf86]

facts

[@heyicu]

"In nineteen ninety eight the undertaker threw mankind off hell in a cell and plummeted sixteen feet through an announcers table.”

[@ultimatemixmeister5127]

Was just thinking how so many things I used to enjoy were more fun and interesting back then. Wrestling being one of them. I’ve lost interest now in wrestling, gaming, and many other things I used to enjoy.

[@ventiankraus980]

HE KILLED HIM!

[@0thers1d3]

That was that long ago?? Damn.

[@martinez5566]

It was great time to be 13 years old. The good old days

[@ppgranja3]

I totally agree with you! 1998 was an unforgattable year for gaming. I wish I could go back and tell that 12 year old kid how lucky he was...

[@HI-pi1er]

I was 12 to in 1998 . 1998 gave me some of my most cherished childhood memories I’ll never forget

[@Vidzette]

Man I can't even imagine the amount of work that went into this video, the editing and script alone might have taken you more than 100 hours, let alone the research! Fantastic job my friend!

[@sumdawgtwigg]

I was 14 at this time and it was a great time to be into gaming. Everything was changing so fast. The PS1 is still one of my favorite consoles of all time. The square JRPGS of the time were some of the best games ever made imo.

[@kazanyemmi]

Everything now is kinda shit

[@johnblue5399]

When you lay it all out on a monthly basis, you sure make a very strong case! Meticulously detailed, knowledgeably observed, greatly appreciated.

[@imaca6538]

I was 19 in 98, this vid nails it. Was an exciting time. Great work

[@EmoDKTsuchiya]

Old fart

[@PazuChill]

1998 will never be surpassed. You are absolutely right.

[@Clodd1]

2001: We need to talk. (But I do agree.)

[@michaeljones7620]

2007 came close though

[@stephenhassell9798]

​@@michaeljones7620 came here to back 07' ppl write if off cause ps3 was still getting its legs but xbone stepped up. Other than that 01'(ffx)

[@LeonSKennedy7777]

Don’t be so sure. 2025 is looking great.

[@GuyOnAChair]

2004.

[@linhtoan1851]

Your production value is insane!

[@redfoxbennaton]

1998 is the best year in gaming. When we really honed console limitations and made games that aged very well.

[@C6ZR1]

1998 was my favorite year of my childhood and maybe life.

[@justinbailey1108]

I was 9 in 1998 and this was the best Era of games to grow up in. So much was out there to play.

[@darkhobo]

Same. It really was something special. You still had the NES, SNES, and the Genesis and those really great 8 and 16 bit games. And you also had the cutting edge N64 and Playstation games coming out too. And the word of mouth culture surrounding the games. Like, we all found out together you could catch level 134 Gengar on the coast of the seafoam isles in Pokemon. We didn't need KZbin. And maybe that means we searched for the Triforce in OOT and Luigi in Mario 64 but those kinds of Easter eggs were all over the place back then.

[@justinbailey1108]

@@darkhobo also, the different myths to get mew.

[@Sinn0100]

I believe gaming is devolvinng right now. If 1998 was peak gaming (it's definitely up there), 2024 is hitting an all time low. With gaming going full digital and developers telling us "we will own nothing and like it," we are nearing a crash. Our shared gaming history is quitely being erased and once everything is fully digital there will be nothing to share with future generations.

[@GORO911]

Emulation will always make sure games survive for future generations.

[@Sinn0100]

@GORO911 For now yes...but that is going to end in the very near future. Once the digital takeover is complete, there will be no backups because the data will not be accessible. Oh, and that will be just the beginning. Here is what is coming... So far, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have joined together under Microsoft's Azure Network. Now, this was done to gain full control over all distribution of console games. After that, they will price fix every console game and begin delisting titles that fail to meet quotas. These games will be gone forever. All of this is being done to force us into a service base contract like a GamePass on the cloud. Once this happens, emulation for anything beyond the 9th generation will be dead. That is how they are going to kill gaming's history.

[@orangejjay]

I think talk like this is nonsense. Games are awesome today just like they were back then. Insane graphics, better screens to play them on, next to no load time, incredible soundtracks, and a wealth of different genres and styles for people to choose from. There's even options for difficulty in RPGs which was unheard of before. There's something for everyone. If you think gaming is devolving, you're drinking flavor-aid. Gaming is better than ever. Shady practices in gaming isn't new. If you think it is, you clearly lack objectivity.

[@Animeruler95]

​@@orangejjayDepends on how you look at it, if you're talking AA/Indie games, then I understand where you're coming from, If you're talking AAA gaming however, it's a barren wasteland.

[@segare-trop-vieux3932]

98 was the best for many reasons, as a Sega fan we had amazing games like burning rangers, panzer dragoon saga, shining force 3 sc3, steep slope sliders, and last but not least the Dreamcast start in 98 in Japan

[@revvvedrez546]

Came across this vid and between this and ur 2001 vid made me an instant fan. Fantastic work!

[@MCHH-ml2qq]

Miss this year so much, glad to finally find a video like this going in depth on what made this year in gaming so special. My childhood was slowly but surely coming to an end in 1998 but was lucky enough to experience the revolution on PC, N64, and PS1 at the time (did still have a Saturn back then but unfortunately the disc drive died and didn't get another working Saturn until 20 years later). Still to this day never experienced a year in gaming anywhere near as legendary as 1998, while later generations still put out some great games i go back to regularly i still come across GOAT titles from 1998 i havent played or finished yet (looking at you Tomb Raider III...) Sadly gaming has changed so much that I simply could care less about most modern titles and I refuse to upgrade my consoles ever again so unless it comes out on PC or Switch im not touching it.

[@funfun_2001]

What an amazing job doing this video, it seriously deserves more views!

[@davidagiel8130]

All of these games are better than anything released this year

[@nekonomicon2983]

That's not true. Don't let nostalgia blind you.

[@theblighter]

Underviewed video. This is incredible. Thanks for all your hard work. Good stuff!

[@arc-sd8sk]

been saying this for years lol '98 was insane for gamers

[@darrenklein6090]

It was a great time to be alive - glad to have experienced it, thanks for this retrospective.

[@raemdespairbringer]

98 was the best time to be alive and well for us gamers, we had great movies, awesome music and groundbreaking games as the icing on the cake, it's really hard to top that year

[@JimiCanRead]

Wow… I was only 6 in 1998 but there’s so many games (and franchises) in this list that defined my youth

[@m3llytan]

Another big kudos to you for on this video. I found this and your channel while I was looking for Sony updates and was mostly depressed by the current state of games today in general. This quality retrospective put me in a slightly better mood, thinking of better days. Fascinating how things change though. Thanks and hope your work gains more traction and reaches a bigger audience soon.

[@DiGiTyDarKMaN]

1998 was fantastic, but 1997 is my favorite year overall for one reason. Ultima Online.

[@revvvedrez546]

I would love to see you do a vid for the years ‘94 and ‘04. Those are the two other years outside of ur ‘98 and ‘01 vids that were huge years! This and ur ‘01 vids are awesome!

[@Level_Eleven]

Metal Gear Solid, Half-Life, AND Ocarina of Time? Wow wow wow wow. Wow.

[@exzisd]

Love these videos and video game history is endlessly fascinating to me. The 90s are a time when I was a kid and so I have a real nostalgic sweet spot for that era especially with Nintendo Gameboy to Nintendo 64. Your channel is really good compared to how many subscribers you have. Keep on grinding, these videos are great and deserve more views for how much was clearly put into them. Keep that passion for the subject going to drive you. If you can remember why you started it should help keep you avoid burnout and put in the persistent work. Sometimes it takes 10 years to make an "overnight success" but I think you could do it faster. I think it will pay off in time if you remember that. Much love.

[@WindBendsSteel]

Remembering '98 makes me really depressed, because nothing like that will ever exist again, and the prospects look very grim.

[@00DeadZ]

My favourite year in gaming still

[@KBXband]

I can truly say I played hookie the most from school in this year. Ocarina dominated my life, so did Turok and MK Trilogy.

[@randybobandy9828]

Turok games were so bad imo 😂 idk I was 10 when it came out and just couldn't get into it

[@DafyddBrooks]

Well done and thanks for doing this mate, I'll be sure to check out more of your videos in the next few days. Only thing I'd say is that you didn't put the saturn logo in the thumbnail along with the rest :( , nothing major ofcourse haha. All the best

[@calypsis]

Damn, Tomb Raider III not even in the honorable mentions, it was a huge name in the gaming world in 1998, I'm really shocked it isn't in this video

[@PaulvonOberstein]

I completely understand why, in a year with Pokemon, OoT, and MGS, someone would overlook Tomb Raider III, Tomb Raider III received a pretty lukewarm reception in 1998, many reviewers thinking Tomb Raider had plateaued and in desperate need for a refresh.

[@illuminated_crown]

I remember tomb raider being huge too. Damn near ps1 mascot

[@PaulvonOberstein]

@@illuminated_crown Many believed Tomb Raider had become stale by 1998.

[@gst9325]

TR3 was disappointment after masterpiece that was TR2

[@elibonham4388]

Tomb raider 3 was awesome how is it not in the list

[@jehovahsthickness3351]

Happy to say I own a copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga! Best Saturn game hands down!

[@timmyp6297]

Imo Shining the Holy Ark is better.

[@danhectic5629]

i bought mine in like 2003 for $150.

[@terz3t11]

This longform videos are great, you deserve quite a bit more subscribers and views, my friend. On to the video, thank you, for mentioning Xenogears, my one true jrpg love.

[@Skysmeller1]

This was a great video

[@ThatGuy-nc6wg]

The 1998 Playstion Pizza Hut Demo Disc... i had never replayed a demo disc so many times in my life. Someone should do a video on that.

[@jiraiya0698]

You earned a subscription, friend

[@turismofoegaming8806]

I just got to play Penzer dragoon saga for the first time just last night!!! I have been wanting to play that game for decades now as I did not have a Saturn when I was a child but had a PlayStation… I also just want to say that Xenogears is my favorite JRPG OF ALL TIME AND I GOT IT FROM MY 13TH BIRTHDAY!!! The music in that game is beautiful!! And while the graphics are dated and pixelated now, it’s a game for me that never gets old! I also Got Tekken3 which was the first 3-D fighter ever to be built the way that it was built with you being able to sides step into the foreground and background!! I knew that you would mention this in the video and Tekken3 was hands-down the best fighter back then! Nobody played Mortal Kombat anymore-

[@sauce777]

The crowd around Marvel vs Capcom in the arcade was a sight to behold. Some of my best childhood memories. I hate that my one and only local arcade went away the very next year!

[@JakeSibley-ql9sq]

1080 snowboarding as a 11 year old determined to beat everything well while trying not to get caught cussing at the tv. Didn't realize how much that game really got me prepared to be sucked in by the late Tony hawk series.

[@wolfgangfrost8043]

You forgot to mention that Duke Nukem Forever came out exactly on time that year and became a cultural touchstone. A true masterpiece that proved how a 5th generation game done well could almost look like a 6th gen game! Nobody will deny that Duke Nukem Forever was one of the most important games of 1998, it truly showed off what iD Tech 2 can do, aka Quake II engine, while still having an identity all it's own! Interactivity and world building was started with DNF in 1998. Half-Life wishes it had that kind of influence!

[@LeightonCorcoran]

1998: The only correct answer to the question 'What was the greatest year in gaming?'

[@GodSmacker06]

Glad to see Battlezone for the pc get mentioned, super underrated game imo….I still play it once in a while…..

[@lauradrake1234]

Anywhere from 1996-2001 you could choose a year and have a good argument for the best year

[@TheGunmanChannel]

And how good it was to be 15 years old in 1998

[@Youtubax]

I was 16 in july 1998 when I bought a PS1 with the new analog controller included. I had a blast that summer playing Gran Turismo, Abe’s Odyssey, Armored Core, Tomb Raider 2… By the end of the year I knew I would become a gamer for life when I got a copy of Metal Gear Solid because I realized videogames weren’t only meant for kids anymore!

[@polycube868]

I enjoyed your comment, left a like.

[@SnowRemnant]

No mention of KOF 98, one of the best fighting games. Big sad. Anyway, great video, I'm watching the 2001 vid too.

[@PsychoAlfaSchizo]

I was 13 in 1998. I spent that time playing Zelda Ocarina of time and 007 Golden Eye👍👍

[@JewishHeroBreakingStereotypes]

I was 5 in 1998, and I only played Pokemon Red and Crash Bandicoot: Warped that year. I played The Lion King on my sister's Sega Genesis when I was 4 in 1997.

[@nathanbraun2067]

banjo kazooie, best game ever

[@nazgulsenpai]

Awesome video! Minor nitpick at 1:01:06 it's Ultima Underworld :)

[@theexile4694]

'98 was also the beta for Everquest on PC. That turned out to be a phenomenon. Man it was a great year.

[@AJ-po6up]

Today I realized that most of my favorite games came out in 1998, I just randomly started checking the dates of when my all-time favorite games came out and I was surprised to find out that so so many came out in 98, a year where I still didn't even know what gaming was because I was too little (5yrs old), so it's not like I have any nostalgia for that year, I played these games many years after they came out, some even more than a decade later and yet they all have in common that they came out on 1998, I don't think is a coincidence. I'm glad someone else realized it though (that's how I found this video), it truly was the best year in gaming (at least for me it sure was!) I know it's subjective but it has to be in the top three or five for most people period, this video doesn't even cover all the masterpieces of that year or even some of my favorites because I know it would be way too long (image just Squaresoft alone was churning out banger after banger that year on the PS1 and so did Konami and Capcom), it really was that good of a year!.

[@k3salieri]

The Golden Age of gaming was 1995 - 2010.

[@francisquebachmann7375]

Agreed

[@mitchpalm5908]

Close! More like 1990-2010. The tailend of the NES and launch of the SNES can't be understated. It was also a pretty special time from 1990-1995 😄

[@Otzchieem]

98 was a good year in gaming. Probably in variety and quality it was the greatest. But I still feel that 2007 was slightly better just because of the quality. However sometimes I think 98 because of its variety. But basically after 98 the game industry didn’t change much until 2007

[@miguelkourie2200]

Rogue Squadron was pretty impresive for the N64 with it's audio technology, also along side Turok 2, was one of the first to use the red expansion pak, it deserved to be in the main list.😢 Great video, i enjoyed a lot anyways. 👌

[@principedelamuerte3235]

Good list. Tomb Raider 3 was worth a mention and also Parasite Eve from Square (often criminal underrated).

[@matttyree1002]

Damn, what a mega list of amazing games

[@willyg2016]

What really proves how much of n incredible year for games this was, is the honorable mentions list - look at those titles!!

[@lenk8374]

The Gameboy color is rightly considered part of original Gameboy. It wasn't truly a next Gen system but a beefed up Gameboy

[@spaztec8285]

Would you consider series s/x and PS5 next gen consoles? They pretty much feel like beefed up versions of their last gen counterparts

[@nekonomicon2983]

Yeah, it's the GBA SP of the GB lineup

[@Nigel222]

There were so many top tier games in this year in various genres. I don't think it was ever really topped.

[@RolandHebert-ty6th]

A great nostalgic trip back in time.The games were so great in 1998.My first PlayStation 1 game was Resident evil 2.

[@blaked7532]

I played most of these games when they originally came out......... man, am i old or what? :P

[@Natedawg38]

Any year that has both resident evil 2 and metal gear solid....yeah thats gonna be the best year in gaming. In fact, metal gear solid could probably win it on its own. Its THAT important.

[@Athanatoi]

1996 - 2001 were the best years in gaming.

[@braedongarner]

I was born in 1998, though the N64 and PS1 were my first consoles. Ocarina of Time was my first game. Although PS2/3 was more “my era”, I’m so glad to have first been exposed to the one before it

[@TwoBlackMarks]

You could more or less make a video like this on 96, 97, 98, 99 and other years too, somewhat dependable on what you rate as "important", some of the years have "First of" and "Last of" type of games. But the year of Unreal and Half-Life is hard to compete against historically in hindsight. I never had a computer to play those new 3D games back then, but I could play Fallout 2 for a while before I ran out of hard drive and memory, it is easily on of my most favorite games ever, also Metal Gear Solid on PSX, good memories. I remember reading about and seeing small pictures and notes about Unreal and Half Life in magazines though, they were pretty hyped.

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

2000 also had Deus Ex, BG2 etc. the whole period from 1990-2000 seems like a strange dream compared to the gaming industry these days,

[@caifabe8050]

bro made a video about the most influential games of 1998 and failed to make an entry for the absolute bestselling PS1 game of all time which happened to come out in 1998 good job

[@jimmylim5015]

I was also 10 back in 98-I also believe that the late 90s to early 2000s was the best time to be alive in Gaming History. There would never be a repeat of the PS1/N64 and PS2/Xbox/Gamecube era. Let's not forget PS underground and demo discs from the magazines (who remembers going to 7 Eleven or Target to steal a disc or two from the magazines? Admit it-you know who you are lol)

[@Sb129]

I'm happy Starseige got a mention at least~

[@xpluralx]

Why stretch them to widescreen?

[@polycube868]

Probably to fill out the screen, still great looking footage though, but would be better if it were 4:3

[@trueneese8080]

When the honorable mentions include Tenchu - a milestone game- parasite eve, also somewhat revolutionary in its design and Star Wars: rogue squadron. You know it really was the best year.

[@fawkkyutuu8851]

Parasite Eve and Rogue Squadron should've been part of the main highlights , also left out niche gems like Kagero Deception II , Divers Dream , LSD Dream Emulator etc...

[@ComaAlpha]

I've said it a million times. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is tied with Final Fantasy VII for the best game ever.

[@carlosaugustodinizgarcia3526]

1991 and 1996: Are we a joke to you? 1991: Street Fighter II: the world warrior The Legend of Zelda:A link to the past (Japan) Final Fantasy IV Super Castlevania IV Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in time. Super Ghouls'n Ghosts Sonic the hedgehog Streets of Rage Battletoads Super Mario World (worldwide,Japan in late 1990) Popful Mail Captain Commando 1994: Final Fantasy VI -1996: Super Mario 64 Super Mario Kart 64 Star Ocean Dragon Quest III remake Nights into dreams Virtua Fighter 3 (arcade) The house of the dead Resident Evil Tomb Raider Crash Bandcoot Pokémon (green ) Super Mario Rpg Metal Slug Quake Dead or alive Duke Nukem 3D

[@alanlee67]

1995 and chrono trigger, dkc2, yoshis island, time crisis, and tekken 2 would like to have a word. Or 2011 with skyrim, deus ex human revolution, battlefield 3, crysis 2, arkham city, and dark souls.

[@dkropelnicki9819]

I was 9 that year. We had a PlayStation. I remember my mom getting me Spyro for sure. I always replayed the first 2-3 levels as we never had a memory card lol. And I rented Need for Speed 3. Good times.

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

Great video although you missed a personal favourite of mine: Shining Force 3. A thousand times better than the dodgy House of the Dead Saturn port you mentioned at the end.

[@TheTechCguy]

I agree with the point of this video. I was a kid, back in this era, who experienced this first hand. Console and Windows 98 with CDs and floppy disks. Goated Nostalgia! ❤️❤️👌👌💯💯

[@davidagiel8130]

1998 I was 17 and I had a PSX and RE2 was one of the greatest games of all time, I will also never forget the first time playing RE1, I still prefer them over the remakes for nostalgia

[@XiJinPiggie]

I was 2 at the time. I remember it like it happened yesterday

[@user-ex2hg5rv6p]

Pokemon Red and Blue, nuff said

[@dx4life68]

3d0 definitely had potential... it's a shame that its $700 price tag in 1993 was a bit too high to sell enough...but the news isn't all bad because they finally ported 3d0's killer app "plumbers don't wear ties" to the ps4 and ps5... :)

[@polycube868]

Now we can see John's hairy ass in 4K 😂

[@jimmylim5015]

Wait, Resident Evil 2's story was not "cheese" it was a massive improvement in every level. Getting two characters with multiple endings and scenarios-there wasn't anything like it at the time and now in 2024. Let's admit we missed the console limitations as developers were forced to perfect their games to cram, test, and finalize it before release-unlike games now released with bugs and constant patches.

[@GIjoelly]

1998 & 2001 were the best years.

[@Talk378]

Especially considering the backlog from 1997

[@MadPaperMario]

What do you mean

[@polycube868]

He probably means games from 1997 that he didn't get until the next year or games he had from the year earlier he hadn't yet played.

[@Talk378]

@@polycube868 this

[@lucasnooker]

No mention of Tenchu: Stealth Assassins?

[@sanny8716]

1:14:54 there's a mention

[@rydonstarlives5158]

Why am I watching random gaming clips while you go over the gaming industry in '98? Why not have images/clips/citations supporting the dialog at this time?

[@aaronm.3398]

I used to be one of the best online players on Starcraft when I was a kid. I would rarley get beat when I was in my prime. I played that game for hours every night. It was so much fun.

[@redefv]

I was 18. My PS1 was one of the first ones. I had to play it upside down, or it would overheat. I still logged more time with the boys on the N64. Every floor of dorms had many rooms playing Goldeneye. Heck, on the N64, my friends and I would play Goldeneye, Starfox, and Mario Cart to death.

[@NewGabeOrder]

46:02 Before Friday Night Funkin' came out, this was a thing.

[@LJW1912]

WHAT ABOUT SPECIFIC GAME THAT WASN'T ON THE LIST?!?

[@elibonham4388]

Like tomb raider 3

[@deefdelic]

Westwood you are forgetting their most important game. Dune II: Battle for Arrakis. Command & Conquer was years later.

[@isaacvampful]

No mention of Tenchu stealth assassin's? It came out before Metal Gear solid and was one of the best stealth games of that time

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

2001 and 1998 were crazy

[@otisthe1410]

Wow i'm convinced. I was thinking 2001 was the best year because of MGS2, Halo, Super smash Melee, and GTA3 to name a few. But I guess 98' did leave a bigger impression on me

[@daben7145]

certainly was my best christmas, pokemon red and blue and zelda:OOT in one day, 8 year old me was occupied for months, one could say years if you add total time spent on these games over the past 2 1/2 decades. I'm old :

[@Iggy_Dogg]

I'd argue Half-Life is more influential than Unreal, but it's close. Half-Life led directly to Half-Life 2, which came with the creation of both the Source engine (not quite as prolific as Unreal but still huge) and the Steam storefront. These two were so influential on PC gaming as a whole on their own, discounting the technological advancements made in the creation of their games. For better or worse, without Steam, I don't think PC gaming would be nearly as prevalent today as it has become.