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What was your favorite game released that year? 1996 edition (56k)

Elitist1945

Elitist1945

Member
us-front-box-macintosh.jpg
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This game, which was not listed, is one of my all time favorite games. Holds up extremely fucking well.
 
V

Volcane

Member
These were my favourite games I remember playing from that year:-

Command & Conquer: Red Alert (PC)
Duke Nukem 3D (PC)
MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries (PC)
Quake (PC)
Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri (PC)
Tomb Raider (PC)

I'll say Duke Nukem was my top favourite.
 
GrayDock

GrayDock

Member
Tomb Raider, Tekken2, Resident Evil, Civilization 2 and Mario64... What a year...

Civilization 2 for PC and Tekken2 for consoles are my choices.
 
D

Dead Man Typing

Member
Christmas NiGHTS.

I played the Saturn port of Resident Evil in 1997, but RE1 is probably one of my favourite games ever.

Tomb Raider is still a classic.
 
C

Count of Monte Sawed-Off

un33dab@dpu$$y
Suikoden is a game I still play to this day and enjoy, so that'd probably be my pick for that year. But I also put a ton of time into Civ 2. It took what I loved about the first game and expanded the hell out of it. Amazing stuff. And of course Mario 64 was something special at the time, but a game I'd have zero interest in playing again today.
 
Autoignition

Autoignition

Member
Diablo. First game I ever played. So instrumental in shaping my tastes in genre fiction and storytelling in games. I honestly feel like I owe so much to that game.
 
K

King_Moc

Banned
Super Mario 64. I was expecting to say Resident Evil, as Mario was out in 1997 here, but I guess it was 1996 in the US.

Pilotwings and Red Alert strong contenders too, though this is a year where a lot of the 'classics' were let downs for me.
 
K

Kaiser Swayze

Member
As much as I loved Wipeout and Resident Evil, my absolute favorite was Super Mario 64. Not the strongest year overall, very much a transitional time. But it's amazing how much one game can elevate things. Super Mario 64 is easily one of the most iconic games of its time.
 
T

Theslammer

Member
steveovig said:
I can't not pick Super Mario 64. It totally defined 3d gaming and its influence still shows today.
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While I played parts of it when it was released, I never appreciated it because I hated that it didn't have all the power-ups of the 2D Mario games.

I bought it on the Virtual Store in 2013 and holy shit, I couldn't believe how much I loved it. I was like, "Why the HELL did I not appreciate this game back in the day?" I mean, I know why I didn't, but how silly was my logic! Even in 2013, it blew me away.

So much so that I got all the stars even though I knew nothing great happened when you do. =P

Kaiser Swayze said:
As much as I loved Wipeout and Resident Evil, my absolute favorite was Super Mario 64. Not the strongest year overall, very much a transitional time. But it's amazing how much one game can elevate things. Super Mario 64 is easily one of the most iconic games of its time.
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I agree. Not to rain on the parade of anyone who loved this year, of course, but when compiling the list, it didn't seem that strong overall. Many games didn't age well even a couple years down the line, but that's just how the beginning of a new 3D era was.
 
woopWOOP

woopWOOP

Member
Super Mario 64 is the clear winner for me here. I was so blown away by it, I spent a good chunk of time just jumping around the castle's front area before I actually started the game. I also remember my friend opening that 9-star door and we both thought we reached the end with Peach right there in sight, but nope. We totally got fooled. Great game.

Other standouts:
Kirby Super Star - Incredibly fun to co-op through and I like the less 'cutesy' approach they went with.
Pilot Wings 64 - I loved to just fly around the evening sky. Oh how I wish this would get a VC release somehow :(
C&C Red Alert - Didn't play the PC version until wayyy later. The construction animation that the PS1 version lacked were so rad
Civilization 2 - Good sequel. The windows version is so light that I booted it up on my crappy laptop just a couple of years ago for some CIV on the go.
Settlers 2 - Didn't know what I was doing, but building a town of random structures was still a lot of fun! (until materials ran out)
Terranigma - Already talked about it in the 1995 thread, but it's one of the SNES best so I'm mentioning it again.
Warcraft II: BtDP - First RTS game I bought for myself. Loved it, sad I never got online multiplayer to work on it.
Wave Race 64 - When a friend bought it, I couldn't get into it. Then I borrowed it and got REALLY into it (but then said friend thought it sucked, lol)
 
P

psyfi

Banned
Every time one of these threads gets copied it bugs me that the title isn't "What was your favorite game released in [year]?" Every time.

Anyways: Super Mario 64 duh
 
M

MisterP

Banned
Tomb Raider. To this day I consider it the most atmospheric game I'ever played, nothing has ever come close to the feeling of complete and utter isolation.

I used my first pay cheque from my first ever job (I was 18) to buy it and a Playstation.
 
M

mfaex

Member
Suikoden (PS)
Super Mario 64 (N64)
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES)
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That's a good block of games right there. At the time probably Mario RPG. Looking back now, it's Suikoden.
 
S

secretanchitman

Member
Diablo. I was 7 or 8 years old when it came out and loved every second of it! Played multiplayer a lot over battle.net, learning how to dupe items, do pvp, etc.
 
B

batfax

Member
Oh, man. 1996 was such a good year. I legitimately like Diablo 1 way more than 2, played the heck out of Guardian Heroes, played Mario RPG multiple times, Duke 3D introduced me to online FPS shenanigans over dial-up, Mario 64 is legendary, SimCopter is a rough, rough gem, Kirby Super Star's Great Cave Offensive...

If I had to give it to just one game, I'd probably just go with Daggerfall. It may not be the best, absolutely glitchy as heck, unfinished, but I still probably spent the most hours on it over any other release. Years have gone by in-game while exploring High Rock and Hammerfell and I only just recently actually completed the story. Great game.
 
C

Corine

Member
Civilization 2 pretty easily. Some great games that year but none got played 1/10th the time I played Civilization 2.
 
D

duckroll

Member
Probably a fight to the death between C&C Red Alert and Diablo. Both eagerly anticipated games, and I still remember how buying Diablo had this "taboo" feel to it when we picked it up after school because it was ~so satanic~ and ~adult~. Lol.

But...

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Wars
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I PLAYED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS IN ARCADES OMG! MEMORIES! Haven't seen this mentioned in so many years now. Thanks for the memory jolt. :D
 
L

Luminaire

Member
I was looking at the list, yawning pretty hard. Thought to myself...nothin' good really came out in '96.

Then I saw Super Mario RPG. Tekken 2. Mario 64. Resident Evil. Star Ocean. Dead Or Alive...

I gotta say Mario 64. It's a hard choice but I think I have the fondest and most awe-inspired memories of it.
 
X

xelios

Universal Access can be found under System Preferences
If I had to choose just one, I'd go with Twisted Metal 2. Played so many hours of that game with friends from school, so I have the most/best memories with it compared to any other that year. Amazing game to play with friends.

Runners up would be Diablo, Mario 64 and DKC 3. Liked Daggerfall but in hindsight the amount of bugs in that game was just unforgivable.
 
D

Deleted member 102362

Unconfirmed Member
Nice reminder I still need to play the classic Command & Conquer games (TD, RA1).

Duke Nukem 3D (PC)
Good.

MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries (PC)
Also good.

Quake (PC)
GODLIKE.

DOOM 2016 is the only game I've played that comes close to replicating the feeling and movement of Quake I. So good.
 
R

randomengine

Banned
I borrowed a Japanese N64 before the American release and played Mario 64 in Japanese.

Despite not knowing Japanese, I wept playing the opening area just jumping around. It was one of the most moving and incredible gaming experiences of my life.

Let me repeat, I was so moved by the game design, I cried. That's how good that game is.

My personal favorite however is Guardian Heroes for the Saturn. It was my favorite game of all time until The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth stole its crown. 20 years on top is no slouch.

Diablo was of course the first online game I ever played and it consumed my life. One of the greatest PC games of all time. Better than 2 in my opinion. Skill trees are garbage-tier game design (why do you think WoW and D3 so easily abandoned them?)
 
T

Theslammer

Member
randomengine said:
Despite not knowing Japanese, I wept playing the opening area just jumping around. It was one of the most moving and incredible gaming experiences of my life.
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I can see some problems playing Mario 64 in Japanese, specifically the descriptions of each stage's star, which usually gave a hint as to where it would be/what you'd be doing.
 
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