Video Games From The 90s We Have All Forgotten About

1. This one maybe gave you nightmares

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The game Nightmare Creatures hit the market in 1997. This was a horror survival game that is probably creeping slowly back into your memory. The cover art was so memorable, unfortunately, the game was not. It sold a lot of copies, and at one point, it was going to be made into a film. But the movie was abandoned, and the sequel game received poor reviews.

2. TV based games were all the rage

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Adult based cartoons and MTV would not have been the same without Beavis and Butt-head. The entire plot of the show is around the two characters trying to find tickets to a concert. It wasn't a fantastic show plot, and hence, it was not a great video game concept. The game received a lot of negative feedback, but the show lived on and remains in people's memories.

3. So were film games like this one

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Games that are based on films were very popular in the 90s, and Batman was no exception. This game was released in arcades in 1990 based on Michael Keaton's Batman. The game used audio clips of the actors and even used images from the film. Many gamers loved this one, but it eventually fell by the wayside.

4. Let's hear it for Earthworm Jim

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Earthworm Jim was a classic game that was popular in the 90s. A side-scrolling game with edgy art and humor made it one people loved. It could be found as a staple amongst many console game owners, and it even eventually got a 3D makeover. Throughout the years, the game stayed true to its humorous and quirky roots, which kept fans loyal.

5. Pizza Tycoon walked so Mall Tycoon could run

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There was Roller Coaster Tycoon and Casino Tycoon, but Pizza Tycoon holds a special place in all 90s kids' hearts. There was just something so great about running a pizzeria, buying ice cream (aka weapons), and managing a restaurant. It wasn't as widely received as the other games, but it did inspire other food games we have today!

6. This game is Unreal, literally

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The game Unreal got overpowered by the game Unreal Tournament. Unreal is a first-person shooter game centered around a prisoner on a spacecraft in a crash landing. It's a survivor game that was super popular in the 90s and even had a sequel and two other series based on it.

7. A true fan favorite

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Do y'all remember Worms? It was one of the best games to play with your friends in 1995. Each player would take a turn to fire weapons as the other worms. The goal of the game was to keep your worms alive while killing others. There was also the option to play against the computer if your friends bailed.

8. Just all of the Windows games

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If you didn't play hours of Minesweeper, then you definitely aren't a 90s kid. The 1990s was the decade where PC games became way more popular. Whether it was Solitaire, Freecell or that Pinball Space Cadet game, they were the perfect thing to play while you were killing time before dinner. Are they "good" games? Not really. But they sure are classic!

9. Before SimCity, there was this

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SimAnt was introduced in the 90s. It was a simulation of an ant colony. Similar to today's game play, users could control one at at a time to expand their ant colony. They helped them find food, attack enemies, or avoid other hazards. It won Best Simulation Game in 1992, and it made SimCity what it is today!

10. In a galaxy far, far away

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If you remember Star Wars Episode 1: Battle of Naboo, then you're a real one. This arcade style game was based on what happened in the Episode 1: The Phantom Menace film. The game actually did better than the film amongst fans. It contained 15 missions with the ability to unlock three bonus levels. It was hugely popular at the time of its release.

11. Not cool enough

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Brands have long tried to team up with video game companies, and some have been more successful than others. Cool Spot came out in 1993, but its mascot, the 7Up spot, was not memorable. It ended up being overshadowed by Chester Cheetah Too Cool to Fool and the Cheetos brand. Did you ever play Cool Spot?

12. A Dungeons & Dragons inspired game

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I honestly forgot about this game until I was making this list. But Baldur's Gate was a role-playing game, which fans were wild for in the 90s. It was based on a version of Dungeons & Dragons rules with a top-down view of the story unfolding. The game was very dialogue heavy and fans were obsessed with it.

13. We love racing games!

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Ridge Racer was yet another game that started out in arcades in the 90s. It later came out on PlayStation. While it's not as popular as other racing games we've seen, this one lasted for years beyond the arcade game. The most recent release of this game was in 2016! Talk about major longevity. We think it'll be around for years to come.

14. Enter the Gecko, but first...

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People latched on to the Gex sequel way more than the original. While a lot of people played the original, the sequel, Enter the Gecko, received way more attention. This pushed the original Gex into being forgotten, while most would still recognize the characters from the sequel game.

15. This ninja game was super innovative

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Tenchu: Stealth Assassins was released in 1998. This action-adventure game was the first ninja game to include stealth, making the gameplay and mechanics more involved. There are 10 levels to the game that, of course, increase in difficulty, and fans kept coming back, making this game a success.

16. Metal Gear 2 was a good vibe

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Everyone's heard of Metal Gear. Metal Gear 2 was an action-adventure game that people considered groundbreaking in its gameplay and graphics. It was also considered stylistically unique. Taking the same stealth mechanism from Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2 built upon it with technical advances that received critical acclaim.

17. The dawn of a new era

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This game was a real-time strategy game where you build a settlement and group of people. Populus: The Beginning evolved in graphics and gameplay where you are part of your tribe vs acting as "God" over the players. Real-time strategy games began to increase in popularity, and users really latched on to Populus when it came out.

18. This shocking game even got a reboot

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System Shock is considered the inspiration behind games like BioShock. It sold 170,000 copies, and the game play was innovative for the time. There were other games in this cyberpunk genre that simply became more popular. But the game did get a reboot by Nightdive Studios in 2020.

19. Could you escape?

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Who remembers Ape Escape? This game was played from the third-person perspective where you had a bunch of tools and gadgets to try to capture apes. Classic. It was originally released in 1999, and it's often called a PlayStation classic. It had a lot of different environments to explore, and fans couldn't get enough!

20. Puzzle games are always popular

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This adventure puzzle game was huge in 1993. Myst takes the user on a journey through the world. As you adventure through the space, you can interact with objects by clicking on them. It was unique concept at the time and became the best-selling PC game until The Sims came along.

21. Bet you don't remember this one

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Virtua Fighter became the first fighting game to use 3D polygon graphics. Even though we don't totally get what that is, we know it was important to the evolution of gaming. Virtua Fighter was a popular arcade game in the early 90s. It later became available on Sega Saturn and Sega 32X. It jump-started the fighting game franchise and had many sequels and spin-offs.

22. Zendaya probably plays this in her spare time

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Long before Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet joined the Dune universe, Dune II, the video game, ruled the world. The plot of the game is based on Frank Herbert's book, and many games today use the interface as a template. Fans said the game is incredibly engaging, but be on the lookout for worms!

23. Did you play Goof Troop?

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If you grew up in the 90s, you're probably familiar with this game. Whether your go to was Goofy or Max, this action and adventure game was based on the TV series. You could explore different areas and solve puzzles, all while defeating enemies throughout the game. Some fans said the game was too easy, but it was designed for a younger market, and the target age range loved it!

24. This game was Looney (Tunes)

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Personally, I could never forget about this game. The Looney Tunes were a staple in the 90s, and they were very present in the gaming space. Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout wasn't as popular as Animaniacs or Tiny Toon Adventures, but if you loved Bugs Bunny, this game was probably your jam.

25. Are you ready for some football?

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The Backyard Sports series released a game called Backyard Football that was popular in the late 90s. There was a quirky element to it that allowed kids to play sports on a console. To entice users, the game used child-sized versions of professional sports stars, so the game was licensed by US sport leagues like MBL, NBA and NHL.

26. This game was changed gaming!

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When Ultima Online hit the scene, it was a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (aka MMORPG). It built on the Ultima universe, which fans already knew, while bringing in new technology. What started off as a single world expanded into multiple worlds and features. The game definitely broke new ground in the social and economic space in regards to gaming.

27. Let's talk about Primal Rage

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This game was originally an arcade game that hit the scene in 1994. Eventually it moved over to Sega Genesis for at home play. The game was super popular in arcades, and to help with the release of the game on consoles, there was a video gram tournament with prizes. Fans loved the game, but there was also an uproar over the sequel never being finished, and the game became extinct.

28. Were you a fan of this game?

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Everquest is another game that really changed the way we game today. In 1999, developers were able to produce this game as a multiplayer online role-playing game. It was the first of its kind to use 3D graphics, and users were shocked at its capabilities. Dungeons and Dragons acted as inspiration for the gameplay, and it received a ton of positive reviews.

29. We'll let you in on a little secret

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The Secret of Monkey Island released in 1990. It was an adventure game that fans loved for being player-friendly and containing lots of humor throughout. It's a hard game to lose, and rather, it guides you through a story. A lot of fans were drawn to this type of open format play where they couldd really explore the world.

30. This one changed modern day gaming

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The game Soul Edge became part of the Soul Caliber series. It was originally an exploration into weapon based fighting games. It started as an arcade game, and then moved over to PlayStation as Soul Blade. It was the first game to use motion capture, so it's safe to say it's strongly shaped the games we play today.