The year is 1996 and the Oprah finally has a book clubs. It was the year when disaster movies dominated the box office, everybody loved Raymond and people around the world were trying to figure out who this Macarena chick was. But we're now here to talk about how they all want me, they can't have me, so they all come and dance beside me, because today we're counting down Electronic Gaming Monthly's best reviewed games of 1996. Aiiigghh!
Die Hard Trilogy
#10
You have to hand it to Fox Interactive; Die Hard Trilogy has a great conceit. Instead of simply shoehorning three Die Hard movies into one type of game, the developers at Probe decided to go the opposite direction and create three wildly different games that were based on the individual movies. For example, the original Die Hard was told as a third-person shooter, Die Hard 2 is an on-rails shooter and Die Hard With a Vengeance is a bit of a driving game. It was a gamble, but the EGM editors thought it worked out.
"Any gamer with a passion for death and destruction will fall in love with the Die Hard Trilogy," starts Sushi X. "Three games for the price of one with engines as diverse as they possibly can be while still keeping the integrity of the titles intact." Believe it or not, Crispin Boyer liked the game even more than Sush, giving it a 9 and saying that "the collection has something for everybody." You get the feeling while reading these reviews that the critics were genuinely surprised by the quality found in Die Hard Trilogy, which may explain why it received nothing but high marks. An average of 8.75 out of 10 is definitely something to yippee ki-yay over.
Real Bout: Fatal Fury
#9
So here's a fun fact: 1996 marks the fourth year in a row where an SNK fighting game has cracked EGM's top ten. What makes that even more impressive is that SNK is the only fighting game company to pull off that feat. The must-own Neo Geo fighter in 1996 was Real Bout: Fatal Fury, easily one of the best versions of the classic series.
This fighter won the Game of the Month prize in March, largely because Andrew gave it a 9.5 out of 10. "I didn't care for the last Fatal Fury, but this one does justice to the name." He went on to gush that "everything about this game screams greatness, animation, sound and graphics. Wow!" Mark, Mike and Sushi weren't nearly as sold on the game, with the rest of the Review Crew giving Real Bout: Fatal Fury a string of 8.5s. They complained that the game was too easy and some of the characters suck, but conceded that it's also a pretty great fighting game from SNK. Andrew's review helps to bring the average up to 8.75 out of 10.
Clockwork Knight 2
#8
Since posting our look at Electronic Gaming Monthly's Best Reviewed Games of 1995, I've been inundated with the same question: What about the Sega Saturn? The truth is, the EGM editors weren't exactly blown away with the Saturn at launch, with even the best reviewed Sega game coming in tied for 14th place. But 1996 is a different year, and we finally have a Saturn game make the list. That game is Clockwork Knight 2, and EGM thought it was pretty rad.
"Clockwork Knight 2 really shows off the Saturn's capabilities with its awesome effects and attention to even the most minute detail," notes Andrew. Mark also liked the game, saying that "the pseudo 3D environments has been done perfectly and utilizes the ability to jump between the foreground and background." Everybody thought that it was a charming little platformer, though Sushi took issue with the easy difficulty. It isn't brought up much these days, but Clockwork Knight 2 averaged an impressive 8.75 out of 10.
Super Mario RPG
#7
When Square and Nintendo first announced a Super Mario spin-off that transformed the Mushroom Kingdom into a turn-based role-playing game, you better believe there was skepticism. Both gamers and critics were scratching their heads wondering how a Mario and Final Fantasy mash-up would work, but they had nothing to worry about. Super Mario RPG was a masterpiece, and it's not just me saying that. It's literally how Andrew Baran describes the game in the first sentence.
Pretty much everybody at EGM loved Super Mario RPG's charm and story. Mark liked that this role-playing game "will be the perfect lead-in to the Nintendo 64." He also warned readers that if they had already traded in their Super NES for a PlayStation or Saturn, they could be missing out on one of the best 16-bit games. Sushi X wasn't nearly as charitable, giving it an 8 out of 10 and saying that "Mario should just take a vacation until the N64 gives him a new home." He also complained that the graphics and story are "too childish." Did he really expect Super Mario RPG to be some sort of edgy game for adults? It's Mario, for crying out loud. Even with Sushi's lower score, Super Mario RPG managed to average a very childish 8.75 out of 10.
Alien Trilogy
#6
Hey, remember when there were only three Alien movies? 1996 was a year before the release of Alien Resurrection, which led to a wave of prequels and spin-offs that included Alien vs. Predator, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. This was literally the last year anybody could call the Alien series a "trilogy," but that didn't stop Acclaim from releasing a well-received first-person shooter that feels about as dated as the title.
"Alien Trilogy is a great attempt at a first-person shooter with a new direction," starts Sushi-X. "The graphics are outstanding and properly fit the expected appearance of a game like this." Mark also loved Alien Trilogy, calling it a must-have game and explaining that he fell in love right from the beginning. Andrew liked the game, but not as much as the rest of the Review Crew. He gave the game an 8.5 and notes that it "plays remarkably like Doom, but is hard to raise and lower your sights quickly." Hey, remember first-person shooters before analog sticks? Let's not go back to that. Alien Trilogy makes the list with a strong 8.9 out of 10.
X-COM: UFO Defense
#5
In a sea of fighters and action games, X-COM: UFO Defense was a breath of fresh air. Snuck onto the PlayStation with almost no hype or fanfare, this was a pretty great port of the PC classic. It was also one of the few games to use Sony's underutilized PlayStation Mouse. Thankfully, critics didn't let this turn-based strategy game pass by and showered it with love.
"X-Com's graphics may be only average, but its in-depth gameplay and terrific strategy will win you over," explains Andrew, who gave the game an incredible 9.5 out of 10. Mark agreed with that score, calling it a PC port that "has it all and then some." He raved about the PS Mouse support and strategy, comparing it to playing "five games of chess at once ... blindfolded." Neither Mike nor Sushi-X were nearly as smitten with X-COM, but that doesn't stop this from being the fifth best reviewed game of 1996, with a score of 8.9 out of 10.
Resident Evil
#4
1996 was an amazing year for brand new franchises, and Resident Evil was one of the best. The fact that Capcom hadn't figured out how to move people around in a 3D space didn't deter gamers from falling in love with Resident Evil, one of the year's scariest (and most influential) games. Looking back on the reviews now, there are a few things that stick out. One of the themes involves the idea that Resident Evil is finally a game for grown-ups, or as Mark puts it: "As a serious gamer, I have had my share of "kiddie" games and have been waiting for a title just like Resident Evil."
Mike raved about the "cool plot, realistic sound effects and graphics that will blow you away." Sushi-X was also a fan, noting that "as PlayStation titles start to expand into the next realm, Capcom leads the way by bringing players a great adventure with an unbelievable story." Andrew, on the other hand, was quick to throw cold water on Resident Evil's bad gameplay and lack of interactivity. The game also took home the "Worst Voice Acting" prize in EGM's The Good, The Bad and the Silly awards show. Despite the dubious recognition and lower score from Andrew, Resident Evil had managed to scare up an average of 8.9 out of 10.
Street Fighter Alpha and
Street Fighter Alpha 2
#3
By 1996, gamers were understandably frustrated by Capcom. Anticipation was high for Street Fighter III, but we seemed to get everything but the game we wanted. This included both Street Fighter Alpha 1 and 2, which were released on the PlayStation and Saturn about ten months apart. Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewed both of these installments in 1996 and gave them the exact same scores, making it a tie for the best fighting game of the year.
Up first is Street Fighter Alpha, which was called a "flawless port of the arcades" by fighting game expert Sushi X. In fact, the game was so good that it caught some of the critics off guard. "I'm really surprised that this game translated so well to the home system," notes Andrew. Mark even called it the "best installment we have seen for the entire Street Fighter series." Now that's something you put on the back of a box.
But wait, Street Fighter Alpha 2 is pretty great, too. "This is the best fighting game in two dimensions," gushes Dan Hsu. "I love fighting games, and every Street Fighter game (except Street Fighter: The Movie) has always been on the top of my favorites list." Sushi X agreed, calling it "Capcom's best port yet!" He raved about the "near-perfect animation, gameplay, sound and music," making this the game to get for Christmas. Both Street Fighter Alpha 1 and 2 ended up averaging 9.1 out of 10.
Tomb Raider
#2
No character made more of an impact in 1996 than Lara Croft, the thrill seeker at the center of Tomb Raider. Sure, the graphics were blocky and the gameplay was the very definition of clunky, but gamers loved her attitude, the complicated settings and the platforming puzzles. All this eventually led to not one, but three different Tomb Raider movies and at least a dozen sequels and spin-offs.
Given all the hype and excitement, it should come as no surprise that Electronic Gaming Monthly was quick to call Tomb Raider one of the best games of the year. "Tomb Raider is 3D at its best," starts Dan Hsu. "This is one of those games that came out this year that really "wowed" and impressed me." Sushi X was also surprised, but not for the reasons you might be thinking. "I never expected such great control and graphics from a game NOT made by Miyamoto and his team." Wait ... what?
It's also worth mentioning that Lara Croft won the "Hottest Game Babe" award, because this was the 1990s. But don't worry, because there was also a Hottest Game Hunk character, and his name is Oliems from Tobal No. 1. Have I mentioned that EGM's 1996 awards show kind of sucked? They didn't even announce a Game of the Year. Tomb Raider managed to average an incredible 9.1 out of 10.
Super Mario 64
#1
Admit it, you knew exactly how this list was going to end the moment you saw the year. Super Mario 64 was not just a great game, it revolutionized the way gamers thought about 3D platforming. It was a game so good that it single-handedly carried the Nintendo 64 through the doldrums of the first year. It was a game so good that Next Generation named it the Greatest Video Game of All Time just a few weeks after it came out. Did you honestly expect Super Mario 64 to not top the countdown?
"How fun can a game get?" asks Dan. "I couldn't put the controller down, nor did I want to. Everyday, I love to play this game after a day's worth of work. That's how you tell it's a great game." Shawn Smith summed it up by saying that "the beautiful thing is that it's as fun to play as the originals on the NES and Super NES, but now it's in the 3D world with mind-boggling graphics." Crispin Boyer was quick to call Super Mario 64 an "instant classic," and gushed that "the world of video games is seeing a revolution, and Super Mario 64 is leading it." And what about Sushi X? He concluded that "if the rest of the N64 titles are half as good as this release, the control of the video game market may once again return to the folks at Nintendo." That quote hasn't aged well.
Perhaps the most surprising thing is that none of the editors gave Super Mario 64 a perfect 10 out of 10. This is a magazine that once gave Super Monaco GP and Ninja Spirit perfect scores, so I'm honestly baffled that this game didn't pick up at least one or two 10s. Either way, Super Mario 64 easily crushed the competition with an incredible average of 9.5 out of 10.
