What do the games Sled Storm, You Don't Know Jack and Grandia all have in common? These three amazing games were all reviewed back in 1999, but they were NOT that year's best games. At least, not according to NEXT Generation magazine, who gave all three of these undisputed classics four stars out of five. As crazy as it sounds, NEXT Generation gave 23 different games a higher score than Beetle Adventure Racing. I'm talking about the perfect 5-star rating, and today we're going through all of these reviews to see what makes them worthy of this coveted prize. This is NEXT Generation's Five-Star Reviews, and these are the 23 best games of 1999.
Ape Escape (PlayStation)
#1
“We were looking forward to Ape Escape from the minute we heard it was about escaped monkeys with red flashing police lights on their heads, and we're happy to report that the gameplay more than matches this awesome premise. Ape Escape has all the charm of Spyro the Dragon, but it's far more compelling and imaginative, possessing that irresistible Japanese quirkiness. Ape Escape manages to appeal to a very broad range of players. Its general light-hearted cuteness makes it ideal for younger players, but its originality and challenge will also appeal to the most jaded hardcore players. A terrific game.”
Descent 3 (PC)
#2
“Descent 3 has fathomless depth of multiplayer potential. Nine modes and 15 more multiplayer levels are included out of the box. And if the past is any measure, third-party levels will likely eclipse even the original in popularity. Although Descent 3 is a sequel by definition, it feels as original as any newcomer, while at the same time remaining faithful to the premise and strengths of its predecessors. Outrage has made our job simple. It doesn't get much better than this.”
Dino Crisis (PlayStation)
#3
“Creating real horror is an art. It takes an incredible amount of skill to truly scare someone – and by “scare,” we don't mean merely startling them, but causing them to react with real fear. No developer in recent memory has understood horror better than Capcom, whose zombie-laden nightmares have sold millions worldwide. The success of these titles is based on gameplay, and mostly on the ability to truly put players on edge. Dino Crisis is Capcom's latest foray into the realm of fear, and this time, instead of undead horrors, there's a totally different crop of dangers to deal with. As adversaries, the T-Rex are far deadlier than the usual zombies Capcom serves up, and twice as devious. Don't expect to take these guys out with just a headshot, either. Unless you find some tranquilizer darts, you can expect a dinosaur to take several good hits before it goes down – and the T-Rex takes far more than that. Addictive and suspenseful, Dino Crisis is one of THE hot titles to get this winter.”
EverQuest (PC)
#4
“Nobody can deny that Ultima Online was a grand experiment. It proved that multiplayer online worlds could be done for the masses, and it broadened the scope of what people thought could be done on the internet. EverQuest has absorbed lessons learned from Ultima Online, and while the breadth of the game has been limited somewhat, the experience is altogether more exciting and accessible. The most drastic step Verant has taken is the complete move to 3D. Everything in the world of Norrath is beautifully modeled and, with even a moderately powerful system, looks spectacular. The possibilities for the future are staggering, and the design team seems committed to constantly expanding and improving the game world so it won't ever get old. EverQuest is one of the rare games that gives back increasingly as you play it, and it is the new high water mark by with all future persistent online worlds will be judged.”
Forgotten Realms: Baldur's Gate (PC)
#5
“Role-playing games are the rock upon which the church of computer games was built. Games like Wizardry, Ultima and Bard's Tale still make geriatric gamers cry tears of nostalgia for those halcyon days when the worth of a game was measured in how many weekends (and friends) you lost playing it rather than how fast you could move your mouse. Baldur's Gate manages to satisfy the old gamer's cravings while remaining distinctly contemporary. And it is the first RPG to really take advantage of today's technology rather than merely elaborating on games of the past. We seriously can't imagine how BioWare is going to outdo themselves in future titles, but we can't wait to find out. In fact, we're so looking forward to new adventures in the Forgotten Realms that we've found ourselves no longer pining for the good old days of Wizardry, Ultima and Bard's Tale. The kings are dead. Long live the king.”
Grand Prix Legends (PC)
#6
“This is what all games should be like. By faithfully simulating the most dangerous Grand Prix season in history, the game enables you to experience something that you simply never could in the real world. Many games try to do that, but few offer a scenario as compelling as Grand Prix Legends. Overall, there aren't enough adjectives to describe how excellent this is. If you're willing to make the investment it takes to become good, you'll be rewarded with what is perhaps the most exciting and engaging racing game we've ever had the privilege to play.”
Grim Fandango (PC)
#7
“Every once in a while a game comes along so perfectly inspired that it transcends everything we thought we knew about where a game can take us. Grim Fandango is one of those games. After just a few minutes in the world of Manny Calavera and his equally dead compadres, you'll be drawn in by this mesmerizing tale of death, deception, and intrigue. Graced with first-rate voice acting, music, graphics and most of all, an amazing sense of visual style, Grim Fandango jumps off the screen like no other game before it. Grim Fandango is a smart, beautiful and enjoyable adventure game that will leave you holding your breath waiting for Grim Fandango 2.”
Half-Life (PC)
#8
“The plot is movelike in scope and seldom interferes with the pace of the game. Of course, the game is a shooter by nature, but frankly, it has equal measures of adventure, platform, and mystery. Leaping across the chasms, crawling through ventilation ducts, solving mechanical puzzles – all these tasks are hardwired into the unique, spectacular structure of the game. Everyone working on a 3D shooter can learn some valuable lessons from Half-Life. It is fast-paced, it is dramatic, and it brings the very idea of adventure on a PC out of the dark ages and into a 3D world. All that and not a single Orc in sight.”
Heavy Gear II (PC)
#9
“Woe fell unto Activision when it lost the MechWarrior license, yet it valiantly soldiered on, coming out with a different sort of giant robot game, Heavy Gear. Alas, while it had its good points, ultimately it just couldn't play with the big boys. Well friends, come out from the darkness and believe again – Heavy Gear II is a whole new game. In fact, Heavy Gear II is damn near perfect. If there was a knock, it's that you can only save the game at the end of a mission, but sims rarely permit in-level saves, and it's a small price to pay for the game's many splendors. With this mechanized battle jewel, Activision is back on top.”
NHL 99 (PC)
#10
“NHL 99 is a winner. It's not that there's a lot of new stuff, it's just better stuff. Gameplay is more intense. Defense is more robust with crunching body checks, and a slicker offense is more aggressive with fancy passes and harder slaps. The AI has been tweaks, as well, as well. Computer opposition seems smarter – especially the goalies. They're rainier and more realistic in the new version. And let's face it, the graphics are simply superb. This is the best-looking hockey game on the PC. It's colorful, it's fast, and with a good 3D graphics card, you'll see the ice spray every time a player hits the brakes. If the NHL series gets any more realistic in years to come, you'll have to start paying the players.”
NHL 2000 (PlayStation)
#11
“EA's forgotten more about making fantastic hockey games than most companies will ever know, and it shows in this stellar effort. All the usual EA bells and whistles are present, of course, but EA has wisely ditched last year's attempt at hyper realistic player models and ice textures, which led to a great PC product, but slow framerates and unsatisfying play on PlayStation. Rather than making the PlayStation version into a junior PC version this year, the game has been optimized for the aging system, with great results. The addition of a dedicated deke button and other control tweaks make this one of the best hockey games ever, which is good for EA, because FaceOff is serious competition this year. Still, the control and speed give EA the edge with NHL. This game is as close to flawless as hockey gets on PlayStation.”
Power Stone (Dreamcast)
#12
“No one holds a candle to Capcom in the 2D fighting game arena, but in 3D, it's been a whole different story. Until now. With Power Stone, Capcom has jettisoned all of its established 2D fighting game conventions, creating one of the most unique and playable experiences we've seen. Winning isn't based on memorizing combos, only learning how to use your moves and environment together will form an effective fighting strategy. Simply put, there's nothing else quick like Power Stone anywhere – this is a new standard of fighting game Zen, and reason enough to buy a Dreamcast.”
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (PC)
#13
“At its core, Alpha Centauri is Civilization set on another planet, with vastly different technologies and unit types – which is both its greatest strength and most inherent weakness. The game's structure is almost exactly the same as Civilization: “nutrients” instead of food, “terraformers” instead of settlers, and so on. Alpha Centauri is a Civ game through and through, and while that's not a bad thing, that first blush may disappoint some, thinking they've just bought the same game in a new set of clothes. Still, few things warm a strategy fan's heart more than seeing Sid Meier's name on a box. Now go away, we're going to spend the next 48 hours trying to evolve beyond human thought.”
Sid Meier's Civilization II (PlayStation)
#14
“Although consoles seem to lend themselves to fighting and action games over deep strategy experiences, releases like Command & Conquer and WarCraft 2 have done well enough to prove that there is a devoted, if limited, audience for them. How appropriate, then, that the finest of all strategy games should find its way to PlayStation. The PlayStation version is remarkably faithful to the PC version. Of course, the interface has been redesigned, but it's quite intuitive for the standard controller and is easy to learn. Overall, Civ II remains one of strategy gaming's finest hours and is a welcome addition on PlayStation. For those who are willing, it's a game of limitless possibilities.”
Silent Hill (PlayStation)
#15
“On the surface, Silent Hill could be passed off as nothing more than a Resident Evil clone, with the same horror backbone and action elements as Capcom's groundbreaking series. But in reality, the two games have little in common beyond a shared horror premise and a few similarities in puzzle play. While Resident Evil's emphasis is firmly entrenched in the schlocky B-movie gore of the ‘60s, Silent Hill plays more like a perfectly paced piece of surreal, literary horror fiction from the late ‘70s. Games that not only surpass their predecessors but also genuinely capture the imagination like Silent Hill don't come along nearly often enough. No gamer can afford to miss it.”
Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo 64)
#16
“On thing's for sure: Nintendo has guts. Five years ago, the company wouldn't even dare attempt this – a fighting game featuring all of its popular NES, Super NES and Nintendo 64 characters? Sacrilege! But the times, they are a-changing. This is one of the first successful attempts at bringing four players into a side-scrolling fighter, making Smash Bros. one of the most entertaining party games ever released. And while it's certainly weird to have Metroid's Samus smack around Kirby, the surreal atmosphere is definitely one of the game's charms. Fighting games have definitely not been the N64's forte, but Smash Bros. changes that forever. While not a traditional fighter, it is a fighting game, and the best one by far on N64.”
SoulCalibur (Dreamcast)
#17
“For a company that has never entered the consumer hardware business, Namco sure knows how to sell a system. Its PlayStation lineup has consistently dominated with some of the most technologically advanced and playable games on the system. Now, with Capcom on Dreamcast, the wizards at Namco prove they're still in top form by creating one of the most beautiful and playable fighting games ever. The icing on the cake is the sheer amount of secrets that Namco has included in the game. There are secret arenas, secret costumes, secret characters, secret modes and over 300 pieces of artwork to find. Even for the single-player game, there's an excellent story mode that has you lead your character on a quest to find the mysterious Soul Edge sword. Hats off to Namco for showing the world what Dreamcast is capable of. Let's just hope the other developers can live up to this legacy.”
Space Station: Silicon Valley (Nintendo 64)
#18
“Space Station: Silicon Valley is easily one of the most refreshingly original games ever to hit Nintendo 64. The game is clever, witty and even a little wicked, especially by N64 standards. Levels are well-designed in a semi-nonlinear style, enabling players the option of exploring, experimenting and killing anything. Bright and cheery visuals fit the game perfectly, and despite a few minor camera issues, the game's 3D engine works just fine. This game hits the mark perfectly, mixing nostalgic old school gameplay mechanics with a tight, next generation 3D engine. Avoiding Space Station: Silicon Valley is turning a blind eye to one of the very best Nintendo 64 has to offer.”
Starsiege: Tribes (PC)
#19
“While many excellent first-person shooters in the last year have challenged the Quake series in single-player excitement, the reigning multiplayer champ on the internet is still Quake 2. While all of the new games have tried, none have had the originality or style to convert players en masse. Tribes is the first game that stands to not only better the internet experience of Quake, but it also challenges the paradigms of multiplayer internet action gaming as well. It's a tour de force of gameplay, graphics and smart design. This is the first of a new breed of game, and we can't recommend it enough.”
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (PlayStation)
#20
“With the number of snowboarding games we've seen in the past few years, it's surprising that there have only been a handful of skating games. In fact, since 720 Degrees in the arcades, there hasn't been a skating game that has been any good – until now. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater not only captures the feel of skating perfectly, but it combines excellent graphics, incredibly tight controls, and a great soundtrack into the most attractive package PlayStation owners are likely to see all year. Then add to all of this an accomplished graphics engine and some top-notch animation, and you have a game that novices and experts alike will play for hours on end. Whether you're a hardcore skater or just a wannabe, this will satisfy. A must-have for anyone with a PlayStation.”
Ultima Online: The Second Age (PC)
#21
“In 1997, Origin attempted to raise the bar of online gaming by providing a massive, open-ended virtual world that could support thousands of players at a time. In theory, it was a brilliant concept. In implementation, however, it faltered badly: The lag was atrocious, the economic model was crippled, the monsters were practically endangered due to low respawn rates, the servers were unstable, player-killers were rampant, and the game sported a host of bugs, each more frustrating than the last. However, The Second Age is the game that Ultima Online should have been. If you're a fantasy role-player who logged out in the Dark Times and never returned, it's time to pack your bags for Britannia. The Second Age is an Avatar's dream come true.”
Um Jammer Lammy (PlayStation)
#22
“PaRappa the Rapper was like a breath of fresh air in a time when developers had been content to pollute the PlayStation world with me-too games. The idea of a sequel had fans excited but concerned that more of the same would defeat the novelty of the original. The developers obviously shared the same concerns, because Um Jammer Lammy is an entirely new experience, yet still maintains the same quirky outlook on life that made the original so endearing. The gameplay is still tops (maybe even a little better), the songs are still catchy (and hilarious), and there are tons of extra goodies packed in, making this a worthy successor in every sense of the term. Besides, any game that includes a stage dive deserves five stars out of hand.”
Xenogears (PlayStation)
#23
“When U.S. gamers first heard about Square Soft's latest RPG, Xenogears, it was in a press release from Square's Japanese offices stating that the game would most likely never make it to the States due to “sensitive religious issues.” Without even knowing what it looked like, hardcore RPG fans in the U.S. were in an uproar and promptly set about petitioning Square to change their mind. Then came Square's much publicized joint venture with publishing giant Electronic Arts and suddenly Xenogears appeared on the U.S. release roster. After so much hype, and subtle controversy, does Xenogears live up to the furor over its release? Answer: Absolutely. With an incredibly strong tale to support all of the pretty pictures and clever designs, Xenogears is one title that cannot be passed up. No gamer can afford to miss it.”
