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The Year 2002 in Gaming

Select any number of favorites

  • Age of Mythology

    Votes: 4 12.5%
  • Battlefield 1942

    Votes: 6 18.8%
  • The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

    Votes: 4 12.5%
  • Fatal Frame

    Votes: 3 9.4%
  • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

    Votes: 12 37.5%
  • Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

    Votes: 7 21.9%
  • Jet Set Radio Future

    Votes: 7 21.9%
  • Kingdom Hearts

    Votes: 5 15.6%
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

    Votes: 8 25.0%
  • Mafia

    Votes: 7 21.9%
  • Metroid Fusion

    Votes: 4 12.5%
  • Metroid Prime

    Votes: 10 31.3%
  • Ratchet & Clank

    Votes: 11 34.4%
  • Resident Evil Remake

    Votes: 13 40.6%
  • RollerCoaster Tycoon 2

    Votes: 2 6.3%
  • Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus

    Votes: 6 18.8%
  • SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs

    Votes: 1 3.1%
  • Suikoden III

    Votes: 1 3.1%
  • Super Mario Sunshine

    Votes: 8 25.0%
  • Timesplitters 2

    Votes: 4 12.5%
  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

    Votes: 9 28.1%
  • Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

    Votes: 5 15.6%
  • Virtua Fighter 4

    Votes: 6 18.8%
  • Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos

    Votes: 6 18.8%
  • Wipeout Fusion

    Votes: 8 25.0%

  • Total voters
    32
Previous years: 2001, 2000

It's time to look back at another year from the past. 2002 is right around the beginning of the multi-platform era, where at least some third party games would be released on both PS2, Xbox and PC. But we still see plenty of full on exclusives.

Matching 2001 is a tall order, but there is plenty of good stuff here if you're willing to dig a little.
  • On the PS2, GTA Vice City releases just a year after III, but its quality is just as high. JRPGs are still hanging in there with Kingdom Hearts and Suikoden III. Fatal Frame scares the shit out of gamers. We also see new mascots in Ratchet and Sly.
  • PC gaming is still going strong with games like Warcraft III, Battlefield 1942 and Mafia. But from here on high budget PC exclusives would become less and less common.
  • Metroid Prime on the Gamecube hits with a bang as the immersive adventure reaches the highest Metacritic score of the year. The remake of the first Resident Evil becomes the definitive version of the game. Mario Sunshine gets mixed reception but is still a solid platformer. Animal Crossing kicks off the now super popular series.
  • Xbox exclusives are sparse, but Splinter Cell and Jet Set Radio Future save the day along with Morrowind which is still considered to be the best Elder Scrolls game by many.
  • Metroid Fusion hits the GBA going along with a slew of enhanced SNES classics.
  • There are plenty of multiplatform games to go around. LOTR The Two Towers is a licenced game that is surprisingly well made. Timesplitters 2 brings the split screen goodness. Jedi Outcast brings some of the best melee combat out there. Tony Hawk 4 is a solid continuation to the series.

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January 7Rez
January 22Forever Kingdom
January 22Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
January 23PaRappa the Rapper 2
January 28AirBlade
February 1Serious Sam: The Second Encounter
February 3Sonic Advance
February 9Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World
February 11Maximo: Ghosts to Glory
February 11Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
February 12State of Emergency
February 19Gitaroo Man
February 22Jet Set Radio Future
March 2Shadow Man: 2econd Coming
March 3Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future
March 4Fatal Frame
March 10Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
March 11Hot Shots Golf 3
March 11Sled Storm
March 12Mad Maestro!
March 12Mister Mosquito
March 17Virtua Fighter 4
March 18Sega Soccer Slam
March 19Bloody Roar 3
March 21Blood Omen 2
March 25King's Field: The Ancient City
March 26Freedom Force
March 26Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
March 31Dungeon Siege
April 15Spider-Man: The Movie
April 30Resident Evil Remake
May 1The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
May 7Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
May 9Headhunter
May 20Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix
May 27Lost Kingdoms
May 28Aggressive Inline
May 29Dropship: United Peace Force
May 29Medal of Honor: Frontline
May 31Way of the Samurai
June 3Dead to Rights
June 12Mega Man Battle Network 2
June 16Neverwinter Nights
June 17Wipeout Fusion
June 22Shantae
June 23Stuntman
June 24SkyGunner
July 3Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
July 22Smuggler's Run
July 29The Mark of Kri
July 30Virtua Tennis 2
August 20The Thing
August 20Medieval: Total War
August 25Super Monkey Ball 2
August 26Super Mario Sunshine
August 27SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs
August 28Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven
August 28Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
August 31Turok: Evolution
September 5Armored Core 3
September 10Battlefield 1942
September 10Mega Man Zero
September 10Ty the Tasmanian Tiger
September 15Animal Crossing
September 16Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
September 16Gungrave
September 17Kingdom Hearts
September 22Divine Divinity
September 23Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
September 23Tekken 4
September 23Summoner 2
September 24Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
September 24The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring
September 30No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way
September 30Burnout 2: Point of Impact
September 30Grandia Xtreme
October 1Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
October 1Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
October 9TimeSplitters 2
October 15Red Faction II
October 15Wild Arms 3
October 15BloodRayne
October 15RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
October 21Mario Party 4
October 21The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
October 22Contra: Shattered Soldier
October 23Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
October 24Suikoden III
October 27Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
October 29Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II (GC)
November 1Age of Mythology
November 4Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
November 4Ratchet & Clank
November 5Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
November 6The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal
November 10Shinobi
November 11MechAssault
November 12Resident Evil 0
November 15Metroid Prime
November 15Metroid Fusion
November 17Haven: Call of the King
November 18Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
November 19007: Nightfire
November 21Steel Battalion
November 25Rygar: The Legendary Adventure
November 28Space Channel 5 Part 2
December 3The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (GBA)
December 19Sonic Advance 2
 
Last edited:

Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
Vice city was crazy, I introduced it to my friends and that game + weed was a good time. Some of my friends back then were crazy and would chainsaw grandmas, we had pretty sadistic over the top humour back then.

LOTR two towers was pretty awesome, used to play that quite a bit at mates house.
 
So many bangers. Such an incredible year to be a Gamecube owner. My parents got me GTA VC for Christmas but I snatched it from where they were hiding it soon after release. It was fucking worth it.
 

Unknown?

Member
Socom launched and was the a HUGE online community. I remember getting that for Christmas that year. Was great fun.
 
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