Electronic Gaming Monthly's Best Reviewed Games of 1999

FIFA 2000

#10

Despite their popularity, traditional sports simulators rarely find their way onto EGM's best reviewed lists. Aside from Tommy Lasorda Baseball and a couple Madden games over the years, the editors were much more likely to praise swords and guns to balls and bats. But maybe that's starting to change, and it will be FIFA 2000 leading the charge. Regardless of whether this is a new trend or a one-off fluke, this marks the first soccer game to make the cut, and it's easy to see why from the reviews.

"There's one problem with FIFA 2000," warns Dan Leahy. "I don't have enough space to applaud all that's right with this game. Game speed is perfect (and adjustable), the animation is fluid, advanced moves are relatively easy to learn and intuitive." John Ricciardi notes that he isn't a big soccer fan in real life, but he's always loved the FIFA series. "This year's game is easily the best yet. The controls are super smooth, the gameplay is tight and it's just plain fun to play." Thanks to a slightly higher score from Davison, FIFA 2000 averaged an impressive 9.1 out of 10.

Beetle Adventure Racing

#9

Beetle Adventure Racing is the unlikely Nintendo 64 game that could. It wasn't a sequel or an arcade port, but rather an original console game with a curious license and a great theme. It was a game developed by the people who made Pilotwings 64 and published by Electronic Arts, yet somehow didn't go on to generate a long line of sequels. What's even more frustrating is that the license has kept this great game from getting ported, re-released or dumped on the Virtual Console, almost guaranteeing that Beetle Adventure Racing would be lost to time. But that's not what Electronic Gaming Monthly was worried about when they called it "the best racing game on the Nintendo 64 by far."

"Holy cow, this is good!" yells Dean. "Beetle Adventure Racing is outstanding. It's highly competitive and very playable, with the best track designs I've seen on an N64 racer." John Davison tag teamed the praise by saying that "it looks and sounds incredible, the controls are absolutely spot-on and the tracks are brilliantly designed and full of secrets and bonus items." The lowest score came from John R, but even he admits that this surprising gem may very well be his favorite N64 racer to date. His complaints were centered on the multiplayer mode, which frustratingly made him unlock extra battle tracks to play with friends. But even with his slightly lower score, Beetle Adventure Racing still managed to average an incredible 9.1 out of 10, making it the second-best reviewed racer on the N64 (right behind Mario Kart 64).

Crash Bandicoot: Warped

#8

1999 was the year when the rest of the mascot characters got their revenge on Mario. After years of being the also-ran, Crash Bandicoot finally makes it onto one of EGM's best reviewed lists. Warped was the third and final installment released on the original PlayStation, and it also marked the last time Naughty Dog worked on a main series Crash game. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Warped was the highest scoring 3D platformer of 1999, outdoing everything from Ape Escape to Donkey Kong 64. As they say, the third time's a charm.

"Crash 3 teaches the already twice-learned rule that it really is impossible to not like a Crash game," starts Crispin. "While the levels are built from only a few old-school, clearly Miyamoto-inspired themes, the control, graphics and overall presentation are so slick and refined that the game is amazingly addictive to watch as well as play." So what you're saying is that a Naughty Dog game is so good that you might not know it's a video game? Where have I heard that before? The truth is, everybody loved the presentation. Shawn was also blown away by the sheer amount of variety in Crash 3: "There aren't too many games on the PlayStation that give you as many elements of gameplay -- you have to find boxes, fruit, gems, more gems, power-ups and relics to truly finish the game. In addition, you have the gorgeous and fun levels themselves to experience." Big and ambitious, the critics loved Crash Bandicoot: Warped and gave it an average of 9.1 out of 10.

Sonic Adventure

#7

Sonic the Hedgehog wasn't just a great 16-bit platformer, it was also one of the biggest reasons why the Genesis was able to compete head-to-head with the Super NES. In a perfect world, Sega would have used their most popular character to sell millions of Saturn consoles and effectively push back against the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. But that didn't happen. Instead of giving us a new 32-bit Sonic game, Sega canceled what they were working on and opted to release a number of upgraded ports. That sucks, but all was forgiven the moment gamers saw Sonic Adventure running on the Dreamcast. It had been five years since the last proper Sonic sequel, and the EGM editors couldn't possibly be more excited.

"Sonic Team has brought the essence of what made Sonic such a great game on the Genesis and translated it into 3D," starts Chris. "Adventure is a masterpiece of a game, every inch finely detailed. It proves that you can make a 3D game that has the gameplay of a classic 2D platformer." Dean said that "this is one of those must-buy launch games." "What really blows me away is the imaginative level design -- intense is only one of the words that come to mind." John gave it the lowest score, arguing that it has some camera problems and infuriating boss, and then recommending you "crank the sound if you love hair metal." No matter what music you like, Sonic Adventure averaged a speedy 9.1 out of 10.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's
Awakening DX

#6

There are two types of people in this world -- those who like Zelda in 3D, and those who don't. No matter which camp you're in, Nintendo had you covered in the late 1990s. This kicks off with The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, which was technically released for the Game Boy in December of 1998, but EGM didn't get around to reviewing it until the following March. With an average of 9.25 out of 10, this upgraded port not only managed to top the original Link's Awakening, but also A Link to the Past on the Super NES. This is a great game, as many people are starting to discover with the help of the Switch remake. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, because EGM's review crew has a few things to say about this classic.

"Just as Ocarina of Time is reason enough to own a Nintendo 64, this game is reason enough to own a Game Boy Color," explains Crispin. "It delivers an excellent story, superbly designed dungeons and puzzles, the classic Zelda tunes and more than a few gameplay twists that were borrowed from Ocarina of Time." John D also loved the game, but went a different direction with his praise that involved an odd (and possibly controversial) analogy: "This is the hand-held gaming equivalent of the Star Wars: Special Editions, when you think of it." Dan didn't compare it to Star Wars, but did say that the color justifies the $30 asking price and said that it will "probably be the best the Game Boy Color will offer for years to come." As somebody who has looked ahead at EGM's best reviewed games of 2000 list, I have a hunch Dan will be eating those words shortly. Bad predictions aside, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX woke up with an astonishing 9.25 out of 10.

CTR: Crash Team Racing

#5

1999 was a great year for Crash Bandicoot. After being completely overshadowed by Nintendo's 3D platformers over the years, Naughty Dog's popular creation manages to show up two different times on this list. Perhaps the most noteworthy part is that Crash Team Racing averaged a score of 9.4 out of 10, which is higher than both Diddy Kong Racing's 9 and the 9.25 they gave Mario Kart 64. Part of the reason for this is because CTR had a story mode, which made a huge difference and helped to jump-start the stalling sub-genre.

"Is Crash Team Racing an unabashed Mario Kart copy-cat?" asks Crispin. The answer is "Yes. Is that a bad thing? Heck no. Actually, CTR swipes the best tricks of the original Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing." Chris thought that nothing could top Nintendo's kart racers, but Naughty Dog has done it again. "Levels are challenging and have surprises around every corner, but aren't too hard to navigate. There's a lot of variety in the courses and technique that go into navigating them successfully." But while the other critics gave CTR 9.5s and a perfect 10, Dean was slightly less enthusiastic. He liked the amazing amount of depth, but also noted the competent control and the better-than-average graphics." With his 8.5 ruining the average, Crash Team Racing crosses the finish line with a still impressive 9.4 out of 10.

Final Fantasy VIII & Final Fantasy
Anthology (Tie)

#4

I don't think I need to tell you that Final Fantasy VII was a big deal. Not only did it manage to beat out GoldenEye 007 as the best reviewed game of 1997, but it was also the highest score EGM had ever given to a role-playing game with an average of 9.5 out of 10. Considering that this was the game that definitively proved that RPGs could be huge in the West, I think it's safe to say that all eyes were on the sequel. So, with all this hype, was Final Fantasy VIII able to top that score? (Spoiler alert: The answer is no, but it also didn't do worse. It scored the exact same 9.5 out of 10).

The general consensus was that Final Fantasy VIII was better than VII, with half of the review crew alluding to the fact that they weren't that into the previous game. "Having lost interest in Final Fantasy VII before the end of the first disc, I was skeptical about VIII," warns Chris. "But any doubts I had were quickly wiped away. Square has outdone itself this time, weaving a rich storyline using a combination of FMV and real-time graphics that is nothing short of awe-inspiring." Crispin followed that up by saying that the story and characters are so deeply immersive that you'll almost forget that you're playing a video game. He also complained that the battles are too tedious, especially when you have to sit through every Guardian attack. Despite these nitpicks, everybody gave the game a 9.5 out of 10.

Final Fantasy VIII wasn't the only game in the series to earn that score in 1999, because Final Fantasy Anthology also wowed the EGM critics. Che sums it up perfectly: "Final Fantasy Anthology is the perfect package for those that missed the train nearly a decade ago." Crispin explains that "Final Fantasy V stands out for its rich variety of characters and rewarding story," while "Final Fantasy VI is worth playing just for its deep character development system." That said, some of the critics noted that the PlayStation compilation disc had long load times and slight slowdowns, while others wondered why Final Fantasy IV wasn't included. Valid concerns, but that didn't stop them from giving Final Fantasy Anthology an average score of 9.5 out of 10.

You Don't Know Jack

#3

1999 may have been the year Mario Party was released, but there was another party game that stole the EGM editor's hearts -- You Don't Know Jack. Although it was first released on PC in 1995, this PlayStation port still managed to feel like a breath of fresh air. It was a multiplayer party game was an irreverent sense of humor and the types of questions you wouldn't find on Jeopardy. The game was so good that when Electronic Gaming Monthly gave out their year-end awards, it was You Don't Know Jack that won Best Party Game, not Super Smash Bros. or Mario Party.

"Any game show video game that will yell out and call Cyril a "chicken shit" for not buzzing in during the final round deserves a gold award in my book," starts Hsu, who was not talking about me. "If you have a sense of humor and can appreciate pop culture references and extreme sarcasm, get this game!" Both John and Shawn ended up giving the game perfect 10s, though John seemed confused how to score it. "I was in a real dilemma as to how I should score this ... and maybe I'll get some crap from people, but I don't care. 'Why did you give it a 10? It's just a trivia game.' As far as this kind of thing goes, I've never played anything better." Crispin agreed that you should play You Don't Know Jack, but only scored it an 8.5. He liked that it was geared at grown-ups and concluded that "even your girlfriend will love this thing." Y'know, because girls hate games. With an average of 9.5, You Don't Know Jack slides into the number three position.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

#2

It took Electronic Gaming Monthly ten years and 113 issues to average a score of 10 out of 10 for the first time, but only two issues to do it again. That's right, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the second game to average the perfect score. It's almost as if the very act of doing it once opened up the floodgates, because the magazine ended up giving out eleven 10 out of 10 scores between 1998 and 2003. We'll dig into that in future episodes, but when it comes to Zelda, I think that most people would say that the score is well-deserved. It was only a few months later when Next Generation would crown the Nintendo 64 hit the Greatest Game of All time, and it's still one of the best reviewed games of all time, according to MetaCritic.

"Once again, Shigeru Miyamoto and the wizards at Nintendo have delivered a truly epic gaming experience that no one should be allowed to miss," exclaims John R. "The game's creators have managed to take everything that was great about the 2D Zelda games and translate it all into 3D flawlessly." John D puts it simply: "Graphics: Wonderful. Sound: Glorious. Controls: Perfect. Atmosphere: Incredible. Is it the finest game ever made? Quite possibly." Dan also gives it a 10 and calls Ocarina of Time a "legendary game," but he has some critiques. He talks about how the controls take a little getting used to and how the graphics aren't up to Banjo-Kazooie's standards, but ultimately concludes that Zelda 64 is one of gaming's best. With perfect scores across the board, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is officially the second game to average a 10 out of 10.

SoulCalibur

#1

1999 was the year of the Dreamcast. After having a rocky go of things with the Saturn, Sega returned stronger than ever with a super-charged system and a killer launch line-up. Between Sonic Adventure, House of the Dead 2, Power Stone, NFL 2K and Hydro Thunder, the Dreamcast was swimming in great launch games, but it ended up being Namco's incredible port of Soul Calibur that overshadowed absolutely everything. And when I say "everything," that also includes one of the most beloved Zelda games of all time. Like it or not, Soul Calibur was undisputedly Electronic Gaming Monthly's best reviewed game of 1999.

"There is no better 3D fighting game on the market right now, period," proclaims Dan. "The controls are unparalleled. The game is very balanced, no matter which characters you pick." This is an opinion echoed throughout every review. Chris notes that it's the best looking and playing fighting game out there, while also praising Soul Calibur for giving us the Missions Battle that "alone pump up the hours you'll spend on this game not only playing against friends, but unlocking secrets this game has buried within." The long review went to Che, who called it the "Dreamcast launch messiah." "After playing Soul Calibur, there is no turning back. No other 3D fighter even comes close. Definitely one of my all-time favorites." He, along with the rest of the review crew, gave Soul Calibur a perfect 10 out of 10.

Soul Calibur didn't just win over the critics, but also cleaned up at EGM's annual Good, Bad and Silly awards show. It was named Best Sequel, had the Hottest Game Babe and was the Game Most Bought by the EGM Staff. Ocarina of Time, on the other hand, didn't receive a single award that year. Not even a runners-up medal. What's more, Zelda also came up short when Electronic Gaming Monthly listed their Top 100 Games of All Time in 2001. To be fair, Ocarina of Time did well, coming in as the eighth best game ever made. But not only did Soul Calibur rank higher at sixth place, but seventh went to the other Zelda game on the Nintendo 64 -- Majora's Mask. With a higher placement and a bunch of awards, Soul Calibur cements its place as EGM's best reviewed game of 1999.