1996 in video games

Events

Notable releases

Video game platforms
DOS MS-DOS
GB Game Boy
N64 Nintendo 64
Neo Neo Geo
NeoCD Neo-Geo CD
Pippin Apple Bandai Pippin
3DO 3DO
PS1 PlayStation
Sat Sega Saturn
SNES Super Nintendo Entertainment System / Super Famicom
Win Microsoft Windows
SMD Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
Notable releases of the year 1996
Release Title System Developer/Publisher Notes
January 25Guardian HeroesSatTreasure/Segaa beat-em-up game developed by Treasure
January 26Mystaria: The Realms of LoreSatMicro Cabin/Segaa tactical RPG
January 29Duke Nukem 3DDOS3D Realms/GT Interactivea popular first person shooter
January 31Mega Man X3SNESCapcomthird X installment in popular Mega Man franchise.
February 9Bahamut LagoonSNESSquareSoftTactical RPG spin-off in the Final Fantasy series, before Final Fantasy Tactics.
February 23Front Mission: Gun HazardSNESSquareSoftSequel to strategy Super Famicom RPG Front Mission.
February 27Pokémon Red and GreenGBNintendolaunched a wildly popular game series
February 29Civilization IIWinMicroProseacclaimed sequel to the highly influential 1991 4X game
February 29Ripper (video game) DOSTake Two InteractiveInteractive movie, Point-and-click adventure Single Player game
February 29Rise 2: ResurrectionWin, Sat, PS1Mirage/Acclaimthe sequel to the fighting game, Rise of the Robots.
February 29Terra Nova: Strike Force CentauriDOSLooking Glass Studioscritically acclaimed FPS
February 29Zork: NemesisWinActivision11th game in the Zork series, employing 360-degree views of environment
March 9Super Mario RPGSNESSquareSoft/Nintendobeginning of the long-running series of Mario RPGs
March 21Kirby Super StarSNESHAL Labs/Nintendoconsidered to be one of the best games in the Kirby franchise.
March 22Resident EvilPS1Capcomone of the foundational games in the survival horror genre, for a time it held the record for best-selling PlayStation game
March 22Panzer Dragoon II ZweiSatTeam Andromeda/Segaan acclaimed rail shooter
March 29Dragon Ball Z: Hyper DimensionSNESTOSE/Bandaithe last Super Famicom game in the Dragon Ball Z franchise.
April 20Barbie Fashion DesignerWinDigital Domain/Mattel MediaThe game's strong sales sparked a renewed interest in developing games targeting girls.
April 26Jumping Flash! 2PS1Exact/SCEASequel to the first true 3D platformer.
April 26The Legend of OasisSatSega/AncientPrequel to the Genesis Zelda-style action game Beyond Oasis.
April 30Indiana Jones and His Desktop AdventuresWin, MacLucasArtsAdventure game developed by LucasArts in the popular Indiana Jones franchise specifically to run in windowed form.
May 14Fire Emblem: Seisen no KeifuSNESIntelligent Systems/Nintendothe fourth game in the popular Fire Emblem series.
May 24Metal SlugNeoSNKthe first in the Metal Slug series that proved popular in the arcades.
May 31Final DoomDOSid SoftwareDespite the name, it would be followed less than a year later by Doom 64.
May 31Kirby's Block BallGBHAL Labs/NintendoBreakout-inspired game in popular Kirby franchise
JuneLast BronxArcadeSegaPorted to the Sega Saturn (1997) and Windows (1998)
June 22QuakeDOSid Softwareadvanced 3D graphics technology and started a franchise that has sold more than 4 million games
June 23Super Mario 64N64NintendoOne of two Nintendo 64 U.S. launch games.[3] An archetype for nearly every 3D platformer which followed it, from the day of release it was widely hailed as one of the greatest games of all time.
June 27Shining WisdomSatCamelot/SegaAction adventure game in the Shining series
July 5NiGHTS into Dreams...SatSegaThe advertising campaign features the rebirth of the Sega Saturn; August 21 (US)
July 19Saturn BombermanSatHudson
July 19Star OceanSNEStri-ace/Enixthe first game in the Star Ocean series.
July 25The King of Fighters '96Neo, NeoCD, SatSNKan entry in the popular King of Fighters series.
July 26Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade EditionSat, PS1Taito Corporation/AcclaimThe first home versions of the popular arcade puzzle game.
July 31Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of FleshDOS, WinSierra On-Linea controversial sequel to the controversial Phantasmagoria.
July 31Virtua Fighter KidsSat, ArcadeSega AM2a spin-off in the Virtua Fighter series
August 25Tekken 2PS1Namcothe second game in the popular fighting game series Tekken
August 31The Elder Scrolls II: DaggerfallWinBethesda Softworksan evolution of the sandbox RPG started with The Elder Scrolls: Arena
August 31Die Hard TrilogyWin, PS1, SatProbe Entertainment/Fox Interactive3 original games in 1 disk, each based on a different movie in the series.
August 31Tetris AttackSNES, GBIntelligent Systems/Nintendofirst release of the popular Panel de Pon series in the US.
August 31Madden NFL 97SMD, PS1, Win, SNES, Sat, GBEA Sports/Electronic ArtsThe first Madden game on gen 5 platforms.
August 31Beyond the BeyondPS1Camelot/SCEAThe first traditional Japanese-style RPG for the PlayStation
August 31Jet MotoPS1SingleTrac/SCEAA futuristic motocross style hoverbike racing game.
SeptemberVirtua Fighter 3ArcadeSega AM2A fighting game considered to have the most technically impressive graphics at the time.
September 9Crash BandicootPS1Naughty Dog/Universal/SonyCrash was used as the mascot for the PlayStation console.
September 14GunGriffonSatGame Arts/Segacritically acclaimed mech game, first in its series.
September 20Revelations: PersonaPS1Atlusfirst game in the Persona series, a spin-off series of the Megami Tensei series. Also the first Megami Tensei-related game to release outside Japan
September 26Pilotwings 64N64NintendoOne of two Nintendo 64 U.S. launch games.[3]
September 27Meridian 59Win3DOone of the first MMORPGs.
September 30Wipeout XL/2097PS1Psygnosisa poster child of the PlayStation for pop culture infusions and sleek extreme action
September 30Shattered SteelDOSBioWare/Interplayfirst game developed by BioWare
September 30Street Fighter Alpha 2Arcade, SNES, PS1, SatCapcomsecond game in the Street Fighter Alpha spin-off series
September 30Mr. BonesSatZono/Segaplatformer for the Saturn
September 30Tobal No. 1PS1DreamFactory/SCEAfighting game famous for including a demo for Final Fantasy VII.
September 30Formula 1PS1Bizarre Creations/SCEAfirst racing game developed by Bizarre.
September 30Donkey Kong Land 2GBRare/Nintendosecond Donkey Kong Land game
October 10Mortal Kombat TrilogyN64, PS1, R-Zone, Sat (1997)Avalanche, Midway, Point of View
October 15Marathon InfinityMacBungieThe last game in the Marathon trilogy.
October 31Command & Conquer: Red AlertDOSWestwood Studiosthe second major title in the Command & Conquer universe, and one of the most popular
October 31Master of Orion IIDOSSimtex/MicroProse
October 31The NeverhoodWinThe Neverhood Inc./DreamWorksThe game is done almost entirely in claymation and has gained a sequel.
October 31Drowned GodWinEpic Multimedia Group/InscapeAdventure game.
October 31SimCopterWinMaxisFlight simulation game in popular Sim series.
October 31King's Field IIIPS1FromSoftware/ASCII Entertainmentthe last of three games in the King's Field series released for the PlayStation.
October 31DeathDromeWinZipper Interactive/ViacomFirst game developed by Zipper Interactive.
October 31WWF In Your HouseDOS, PS1, SatAcclaimFirst WWF game developed specifically for consoles.
October 31Twisted Metal 2PS1SingleTrac/SCEASecond game in the popular Twisted Metal franchise.
October 31Destruction Derby 2PS1Reflections Interactive/SCEASecond game in the popular Destruction Derby franchise.
October 31NBA Live 97PS1, Sat, SNES, SMDElectronic Arts, EA Sports
October 31Pandemonium!PS1, Sat, Win (1997)Electronic Arts, EA Sports
November 1Blood Omen: Legacy of KainPS1, WinSilicon Knights/Crystal DynamicsFirst game in the Legacy of Kain series.
November 15Tomb RaiderPS1, Sat, DOSCore Design/EidosAction adventure game which was among the year's most critically acclaimed games and proved highly influential on both 3D games development and cinematic presentation
November 20Sonic 3D BlastSat, SMDSega/Traveller's TalesIsometric platformer in the popular "Sonic the Hedgehog" series.
November 22Donkey Kong Country 3SNESRare/Nintendothe third installment to the popular Donkey Kong Country franchise
November 25Killer Instinct GoldN64Rare/Nintendoa home fighting game based on the arcade's Killer Instinct 2.
November 25Bubsy is 3D in "Furbitten Planet"PS1Eidetic/AccoladeNoted for its negative reception. Was the last title in the Bubsy series for 21 years.
November 26Area 51PS1, Win, SatMesa Logic/Atari GamesPorted versions of the classic arcade shooter.
November 26Dead or AliveArcade, Sat (1997), PS1 (1998)Team Ninja/TecmoThe first game in the Dead or Alive series of fighting games.
November 30Contra: Legacy of WarSat, PS1Konami/Appaloosa Interactivethe first true 3D entry in the popular Contra series
November 30Dragon ForceSatSega/Working Designsa combination of war simulation and RPG
November 30Fighting VipersSat, ArcadeSega AM2a popular fighting game.
November 30Virtua Cop 2Sat, ArcadeSega AM2a popular light gun game
November 30Virtual On: Cyber TroopersSat, ArcadeCRI/Segathe first game in the Virtual On series
November 30Bug Too!Saturn, WinSega/Realtime Associatesa sequel to Bug!
November 30FIFA Soccer 97SMD, PS1, Win, SNES, Sat, GBEA Canada/Electronic Arts
December 3Star Wars: Shadows of the EmpireN64LucasArts/Nintendoone of the first Nintendo 64 games, an action game in the popular Star Wars franchise.
December 14 Mario Kart 64N64NintendoThe Mario Kart series first 3D game.
December 17Mega Man 8PS1CapcomThe first Mega Man game to be released on PlayStation.
December 19TerranigmaSNESQuintet/NintendoPopular RPG famous for being released in Europe but not in America, a rarity in the mid-1990s. Also a spiritual successor to Illusion of Gaia.
December 31Death RallyDOSRemedy Entertainment/GT Interactivethe first game developed by Remedy Entertainment.
December 31NBA HangtimeSMD, PS1, Win, N64, Arcade, SNESMidwayarcade-style basketball game developed by Midway.

Hardware

Nintendo 64

Business

Discontinuation

1996 saw a major shakeup in the crowded home console market, with the Virtual Boy, Atari Jaguar, 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, Sega CD, 32X, and CD-i all being discontinued.

Critically acclaimed titles

Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are aggregators of video game journalism reviews.

1996 games and expansions scoring at least 88/100 (MC) or 87.5% (GR)[4][5]
Game Publisher Release Date Platform(s) MC score GR score
Super Mario 64 Nintendo June 23, 1996 Nintendo 64 94/100 96.41%
Wipeout XL/2097 Psygnosis September 30, 1996 PlayStation 93/100 94.75%
Quake GT Interactive June 22, 1996 DOS 94/100 93.22%
Civilization II MicroProse February 29, 1996 Microsoft Windows 94/100 91.29%
Tekken 2 Namco March 29, 1996 PlayStation 89/100 92.50%
Wave Race 64 Nintendo September 27, 1996 Nintendo 64 92/100 90.67%
PaRappa the Rapper Sony Computer Entertainment December 6, 1996 PlayStation 92/100 88.31%
Realms of the Haunting Interplay December 31, 1996 DOS N/A 91.86%
Tomb Raider Eidos Interactive November 14, 1996 DOS N/A 91.67%
Soul Edge Namco December 20, 1996 PlayStation 89/100 91.46%
Tomb Raider Eidos Interactive October 25, 1996 PlayStation 91/100 90.02%
Resident Evil Capcom March 22, 1996 PlayStation 91/100 87.23%
Command & Conquer: Red Alert Virgin November 22, 1996 DOS 90/100 90.91%
Dragon Force Sega March 29, 1996 Sega Saturn N/A 89.64%
International Superstar Soccer 64 Konami December 20, 1996 Nintendo 64 N/A 89.23%
Guardian Heroes Sega January 26, 1996 Sega Saturn N/A 89.20%
Super Mario RPG Nintendo March 9, 1996 SNES N/A 89.12%
Descent II Interplay Productions March 13, 1996 DOS 89/100 N/A
Duke Nukem 3D GT Interactive January 29, 1996 DOS 89/100 88.50%
Star Control 3 Accolade August 31, 1996 DOS 89/100 N/A
NiGHTS into Dreams... Sega July 5, 1996 Sega Saturn N/A 88.56%
Pokémon Blue Version Nintendo October 15, 1996 Game Boy N/A 88.33%
Pokémon Red Version Nintendo February 27, 1996 Game Boy N/A 87.86%
Formula 1 Psygnosis September 30, 1996 PlayStation N/A 87.75%
Fighters Megamix Sega December 21, 1996 Sega Saturn N/A 87.67%
Pilotwings 64 Nintendo June 23, 1996 Nintendo 64 80/100 87.52%
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei Sega March 22, 1996 Sega Saturn N/A 87.50%

References

  1. Laurence Zuckerman (July 16, 1996). "Sega's US Chief to Resign as Company Sales Fall Short". New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  2. "Attendance and Stats". IGN. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  3. McCall, Scott (September 28, 1996). "N64's U.S. Launch". Teleparc. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  4. "Best Video Games for 1996". Metacritic. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  5. "Highest-Ranking Games of 1996 (with at least 5 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
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