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[Theslammer]

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The N64 debuts, we're still getting Genesis/SNES games, the Saturn is still in the picture, and the PS1 continues to truck along. We see the best PS Twisted Metal entry this year, the sequel to Warcraft II, the start of 3D Mario, NiGHTS Into Dreams..., the start of Star Ocean/Quake/Diablo/Resident Evil/Crash Bandicoot.

At this point, I think most of us were unaware of how big the Playstation brand would eventually become.

1996 Games

Amber: Journeys Beyond (PC)
Andretti Racing (SAT)
Area 51 (PS, SAT, PC)
Azrael's Tear (PC)
Bahamut Lagoon (SNES)
Battle Arena Toshinden (SAT, PC, GB)
Battleground 5: Antietam (PC)
Beyond the Beyond (PS)
Black Dawn (PS)
Blazing Heroes (SAT)

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PS)
Bug Too! (SAT)
Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition (SAT)
Circle of Blood (PC)
Close Combat (PC)
College Slam (GEN, SNES)
Command & Conquer (SAT)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert (PC)
Conquest of the New World (PC)

Crash Bandicoot (PS)
Cruis'n World (Arcade)
Dead or Alive (Arcade)
DeathDrome (PC)
Death Rally (PC)
Descent II (PC)
Destruction Derby 2 (PS)

Diablo (PC)
Die Hard Trilogy (PS, SAT, PC)
Discworld II: Mortality Bytes! (PC)

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (SNES)
Donkey Kong Land 2 (GB)
Dragon Force (SAT)
Drowned God (PC)

Duke Nukem 3D (PC)
Earthworm Jim 2 (PS, SAT, GEN)
F-22 Lightning II (PC)
FIFA Soccer 96 (SAT)
FIFA Soccer 97 (PS, SAT, SNES, GEN, PC, GB)
Fighting Vipers (SAT, Arcade)
Final Doom (PS, PC)
Fire ProWrestling S: 6Men Scramble (SAT)

Formula 1 (PS)
Front Mission: Gun Hazard (SNES in Japan)
Gearheads (PC)
Goal Storm (PS)
Grand Prix II (PC)
Grid Runner (SAT)
Guardian Heroes (SAT)
GunGriffon (SAT)
Hind (PC)
Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures (PC)
International Track & Field (PS)

Jet Moto (PS)
Jumping Flash! 2 (PS)
Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run (SNES)
Killer Instinct 2 (Arcade)

Killer Instinct Gold (N64)
King's Field (PS, titled II in Japan)
Kirby's Block Ball (GB)

Kirby Super Star (SNES)
Legend of Oasis (SAT)
Links LS (PC)
Madden NFL 97 (PS, SAT, SNES, PC, GB)
Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds (PC)
Marathon Infinity (PC)
Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares (PC)
M.A.X: Mechanized Assault & Exploration (PC)

MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries (PC)
Megaman X3 (SNES)
Meridian (PC)
Metal Slug (Neo Geo)
MissionForce: CyberStorm (PC)
Motor Toon Grand Prix (PS)
Mr. Bones (SAT)
NBA Hangtime (PS, N64, SNES, GEN, PC)
NBA Live '96 (PS)
NBA Live 97 (PS, SNES, GEN, PC)

NiGHTS Into Dreams... (SAT)
NFL GameDay (PS)
NFL GameDay '97 (PS)
NFL Quarterback Club 96 (SAT)
NHL PowerPlay '96 (SAT)
NHL 97 (PS, SAT, GEN, PC)
NHL FaceOff '97 (PS)
Obsidian (PC)
Pajama Sam: No Need To Hide When It's Dark Outside (PC)

Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (SAT)
Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh (PC)
Picross 2 (GB)
Pilotwings 64 (N64)
Privateer 2: The Darkening (PC)

Quake (PC)
Radical Dreamers (SNES)
Realms of the Haunting (PC)

Resident Evil (PS)
Revelations: Persona (PS)
Ridge Racer Revolution (PS)
Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed (SAT)
Robert E. Lee: Civil War General (PC)
Scorched Planet (PC)
Screamer 2 (PC)
Sea Legends (PC)
Sega Worldwide Soccer '97 (SAT)
SkyNET (PC)
Shattered Steel (PC)
Shining Wisdom (SAT)

Sid Meier's Civilization II (PC)
Silent Hunter (PC)
SimCity 2000: Network Edition (PC)
SimCopter (PC)
Smash Court (PS)

Sonic 3D Blast (SAT, GEN)
Soviet Strike (SAT)
Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels (PC)
Star Control 3 (PC)
Star Gladiator Episode I - Final Crusade (PS)
Star Ocean (SNES in Japan)
Star Wars: Dark Forces (PS)
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (N64)
Steel Panthers II: Modern Battles (PC)
Street Fighter Alpha 2 (PS, SAT, SNES, Arcade)

Suikoden (PS)
Super Mario 64 (N64)
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES)
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (PS)
SWIV 3D (PC)
Syndicate Wars (PC)

Tekken 2 (PS)
Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri (PC)
Terranigma (SNES in Europe)
Tetris Attack (SNES, GB)
The Adventures of Lomax (PS)

The Elder Scrolls II - Daggerfall (PC)
The King of Fighters 95 (PS)
The King of Fighters 96 (Arcade in Japan)
The Neverhood (PC)
The Pandora Directive (PC)
The Sacred Mirror of Kofun (PC)
The Settlers II (PC)
Time Crisis (Arcade)
Titanic: Adventure Out of Time (PC)

Tobal No. 1 (PS)
Tomb Raider (PS, SAT, PC)
Tokyo Wars (Arcade)
Triple Play 97 (PS, PC)

Twisted Metal 2 (PS)
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (SAT)
Vectorman 2 (GEN)

Virtua Cop 2 (SAT, Arcade)
Virtua Fighter 2 (SAT)
Virtua Fighter 3 (Arcade)
Virtua Fighter Kids (SAT, Arcade)
Virtua-On: Cyber Troopers (SAT, Arcade)

Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal (PC)
Wave Race 64 (N64)
Wipeout (SAT)

Wipeout XL (PS)
World Series Baseball II (SAT)
Worms (SNES)
WWF In Your House (PS1, SAT, PC)
WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game (SAT)
X-COM: Terror from the Deep (PS)
X-Men: Children of the Atom (SAT)
You Don't Know Jack Sports (PC)
Zork Nemesis (PC)

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

Kirby Super Star!

 

[Fularu]

Warcraft 2
Civilization 2
Virtua Cop 2

(Lots of 2s)

 

[Dweebo]

Super Mario 64, brought Mario into the 3D in the best possible way and was the reason I got the N64 to begin with after playing this at a family member's house.

 

[bluexy]

Oh wow! Shortlist: C&C Red Alert, Diablo, Twisted Metal 2, Resident Evil, Suikoden, Super Mario 64, and Tomb Raider.

#3: C&C Red Alert
#2: Suikoden
#1: Diablo

 

[boxter432]

couldn't get a better pic for Mario than the boo hallway?

SM64 for sure. what a game, what a launch game.

 

[Trailblazer34]

Super Mario 64
Crash bandicoot
Resident Evil
Genre defining.

 

[HueyFreeman]

Panzer dragoon II Zwei. Just replayed it, still holds up!
NiGHTS would be number 2, no doubt.

 

[EagleEyes]

Tomb Raider

 

[Enzo88]

I had to think about this for about 5 secs. Mario 64 and i don't think It's even close.

 

[kingbean]

Megaman x3, Resident Evil and Street Fighter Alpha 2. Capcom killin' it.

 

[JamesJoyce1882]

Unapologetically, Duke Nukem 3D. Love it to this day.

 

[mrmickfran]

Mario 64 without a doubt

It hasn't aged that well for me, but it's still a good game.

 

[MAtgS]

Command & Conquer Red Alert.

 

[jobrro]

Probably NiGHTS into Dreams.

 

[Phediuk]

Diablo, Quake, Civ 2, Red Alert, Duke Nukem 3D. Played the shit out all of those.

If you held a gun to my head, I guess I'd say Red Alert.

What a great year for PC games.

 

[Large Professor]

Super Mario 64 closely followed by Command & Conquer: Red Alert.

 

[Moff]

Red Alert, Diablo, Duke 3D, Quake, Resident Evil, Civ 2, Warcraft 2, Tomb Raider and Mario64

Holy damn what an incredible year

If I had to pick one, since Mario64 was released in '97 in Europe, the game I loved the most in 1996 was definitely Diablo.
My 14 year old self just loved the replayability, the grim atmosphere and it was my first online gaming experience.

 

[Theslammer]

couldn't get a better pic for Mario than the boo hallway?

SM64 for sure. what a game, what a launch game.

I love the Boo hallway! I tried to get that sucker so many times when I was a kid before he disappeared.

 

[Courage]

Super Mario 64 and it's not even close.

 

[openrob]

I love these threads as a dive into the experiences of my childhood.
A time machine come in the form of a GAF thread.

 

[Pandy]

I'd take Pilotwings64 over SM64.
Maybe just because we've had lots of great 3D Mario games since then, but only Pilotwings Resort on the 3DS.

 

[dickroach]

Super Mario 64 and it's not even close.

ditto.

but still SMRPG and Kirby Super Star are two of my favorite games ever

 

[Poimandres]

Wipeout 2097 all day every day!

 

[CharminUltra]

Supah Mario 64

 

[letmetrythisname]

Civilization II, no contest.

 

[ThEoRy...]

I guess that was the year of resident evil ps, soviet strike ps and street fighter alpha 2 for me. Sprinkle in some NBA live gen and a touch of madden gen and there you have it.

 

[VDenter]

Super Mario 64.

 

[dh4niel]

7 year old me can't decide.

Resident Evil
Tomb Raider
Crash Bandicoot
Donkey Kong Country 3
Earthworm Jim 2

All amazing.

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

Super Mario RPG- Good stuff, but the game is too easy. I'm due to play this game again with no hack since I can't seem to find one that can increase the difficulty in a meaningful way. The game's art and environments are great. This may have been my first RPG.

Super Mario 64 - I played this at someone's house over the summer. It was good.

Street Fighter Alpha 2: Rented this one time and this is where I was introduced to Sakura. My brother told me she was Ryu's sister at the time.

Tekken 2: I just played the demo of this, but I remember maining Lei in it.

Tomb Raider: Just watched someone play a little bit when I was over his house.

Resident Evil: I never did finish this and the game was taken away from me before I could decide to give it another try. I think I had the Director's Cut version.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Rented this once and didn't like it because of Kiddy Kong.

 

[Redd]

I can't decide between Diablo and Red Alert. I choose both.

 

[tioslash]

Duke 3D. Played the shit out of that when it released and still own the original box to this day. Love it.

 

[Dec]

I hadn't played a legacy of kain game until I played Blood Omen last year and it was a dope game.

It was really disappointing seeing what kind of games the others in the series are, I would have preferred more games like Blood Omen.

 

[Theslammer]

I love these threads as a dive into the experiences of my childhood.
A time machine come in the form of a GAF thread.

Glad you're enjoying them! They're fun to make.

 

[wipeout364]

It's between resident evil and pilot wings 64. I am going to give the nod to pilot wings, I spent so many hours doing those challenges and it was such a beautiful game. That game was so polished with so many hidden features, and could be so relaxing to play it really was a great gaming memory.

Edit: didn't see wipeout XL on the list that would be tied for my game of the year. Wipeout XL was incredible so fast and such a pounding soundtrack really. It was one of the first games where the gameplay, art and sound really meshed for me to create one of my greatest gaming experiences. It was such an improvement over the first one and arguably the peak of the series in some ways as it hit right at the peak of techno and Asian design influences( although designers republic a UK outfit was doing a euro riff on it). I still love the series to this day.

 

[Anth0ny]

mario 64 EASY

 

[RoyaleDuke]

96 was when I got a SNES for Christmas with SMRPG.

It was a Donkey Kong bundle so it also came with Donkey Kong Country. Still the best year of my life tbh, I played SMRPG for the first time.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Suikoden, hands down.

Still one of my favorite games and franchises of all time.

Also, nice 56k warning, lol.

 

[jstevenson]

Mario 64 in slam dunk fashion

 

[Hupsel]

Gooood dont make me choose between Diablo and Mario 64. But probably Diablo.

 

[Platy]

Look at the AMOUNT of games SNES is getting on the year N64 releases ... maybe the N64 really is a third pillar

 

[Syf]

Gooood dont make me choose between Diablo and Mario 64. But probably Diablo.

Stole my post

 

[5taquitos]

If we're talking games I was actually playing:

Red Alert
Civilization 2
Quake
Kirby Super Star

I didn't get into Suikoden until 2, but I immediately went back and played the original afterwards.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Oh man what a year!

Diablo
Super Mario 64
Panzer Dragoon Zwei
Final Doom


One of those

 

[Loomer]

Either Vandal Hearts or Battle Garegga.

 

[18-Volt]

1- Civilization 2 - I broke my computer playing this back in the day. Countless of sleepless nights with civ 2.
2- DKC3: Dixie's Double Trouble - Magazines said that this wasn't from the Rare team that made the first two games, but somehow I liked this one more than the previous two. Maybe because this was a little easier?
3- NiGHTs - I bought this as controller bundle and it was very expensive. But I was mesmerized by its graphics. I had thought to myself, good thing I bought the Saturn at a ridiculously high price, if games like these keep coming, Saturn would be my favorite console ever. Boy, how I was wrong.
4- Red Alert - Another PC strategy game made my nights sleepless. My first RTS, I thought the new genre was genius. I also learned a lot about Cold War in this game.
5- Tomb Raider - Another game made me get hyped for Saturn's future. I remember not being able to finish it until well into 1998.

Not 1996 games because I was a filthy European:
Super Mario 64
Pilotwings 64
Killer Instinct Gold

Played at a later date:
Crash Bandicoot: 1998, after playing Crash 2
Quake: 1998, on N64

 

[mindatlarge]

Super Mario 64
Suikoden
Crash Bandicoot
Duke Nukem 3D
Resident Evil
Tekken 2
Tomb Raider
Wave Race 64

Was what I owned and played to death from that year.

 

[kunonabi]

Revelations: Persona is my favorite game of all time so that would be my answer.

 

[humansarehorses]

Super Mario 64 although I only have the DS version of it now and the d-pad is really frustrating.

 

[xDUMPWEEDx]

It wasn't listed, but Tokyo Wars (Arcade) released in 1996. Absolutely loved playing this game competitively.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Wars