1998 will always be my favorite : Zelda OOT, Metal Gear Solid, Half Life, Gran Turismo, Banjo Kazooie, Resident Evil 2, StarCraft, Rogue Squadron, Xenogears, FF Tactics, Parasite Eve
Most definitely agree with 2001 being one of the greatest years for gaming. A runner up would be 2015 for me. Bloodborne, Metal Gear Solid 5, The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, Splatoon, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Dying Light, Super Mario Maker, etc.
1997: Goldeneye, Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Turok, GTA, Gran Turismo, Colin McRae Rally, V-Rally, Tomb Raider 2, Mortal Kombat 4, Street Fighter 3, Broken Sword 2, Lost Vikings 2, Doom 64, Quake 2, Duke Nukem 2, Bomberman 64, Ultima Online...
It has to be 1994 for me. I had asked for Super Metroid for Christmas, expecting to only be able to get one game. But I got Final Fantasy 3 and Donkey Kong Country as well. What a monster year for games. I can't even talk about the arcade. The best arcade games of all time got released that year. I must've spent $500 in the arcade that year and I was just a teenager. Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat II, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Dungeons & Dragons, Aliens vs. Predator... it just goes on and on.
1994 was a very big year for the SNES with heavy hitters like Final Fantasy 3, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, Demon's Crest you couldn't go wrong with the snes.
I always felt 1998 was one of the best years. Xenogears, Ocarina of Time, Half Life, Starcraft, Grim Fandango, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Pokemon Red/Blue. Yeah it was just loaded no matter what system you had.
In more recent memory, 2017 was a great year for gaming for me. Zelda BOTW alone would have made it so, but we also had Mario Odyssey, Gravity Rush 2, Nier Automata, Horizon Zero Dawn, and probably many more great games I'm not even aware of!
2007 was insane. Look at all the NEW IP's at the time that went on to become major franchises. Bioshock, Assassin's Creed, Rock Band, Mass Effect, etc... you could even call Modern Warfare a new IP considering what CoD was before that.
I'm 25 and I totally missed out on the Dreamcast era. Wish I got to experience it. I feel like the PS Vita sort of was my Dreamcast era. A system that has a hardcore following but wasn't widely successful outside of Japan. Great video!
In 2001 I was playing: Max Payne, GTA III, Alien Vs Predator 2, Jak & Daxter, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, C&C Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge, Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2, Pokemon Gold, Gran Turismo 3, Devil May Cry and Resident Evil Code Veronica X . Looking back now 2001 is one of my favourite years in gaming!
I remember playing the European version of Shenmue 2 for 9 hours straight and just being absolutely floored by it. To this day I consider it my greatest video game experience. Absolutely magical time with it.
Man, it’s really hard to argue that any year was as good as 2001. MGS2 absolutely blew my mind and was the first good game I got for my PS2. We also got Final Fantasy X that year, which was my first FF experience and it also blew my mind. Gran Turismo 3 was another game I poured many hours into. GTA III was a life-altering game for me. Yeah, 2001 is the champ.
This is one of my favorite episodes of yours ever. 2001 was a fantastic year for video games. It makes me think about how many other great years video games had which is a lot.
Johnny I appreciate just how much you love games. Not a certain genre or anything just games. It's contagious. Thanks for all that you do and happy holidays 🤙
mine is 2015. Witcher 3 , Dying Light , Fallout 4 , Metal Gear Solid V , Batman Arkham Knight , Rise of Tomb Raider , Undertale , Life is Strange , Rainbow Six Siege , Mad Max , Ori and the Blind Forest , Project Cars and many more.
Im 33 years old, been gaming since i was a toddler and surprisingly one of the better and most memorable years in gaming was in 2017. Breath of the Wild, Horizon, Resident Evil 7, Nier Automata, Mario Odyssey, Cuphead, Sonic Mania, Hollow Knight.
I haven't thought about it too much, but off the top of my head 2011 was an awesome year. Uncharted 3, Mass Effect 2, Portal 2, but above all else, Skyrim and Dark Souls.
For me it was 1998 when i was 14 and i played Half Life, Fallout 2, Starcraft, Grim Fandango, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Dragon Force, Shining Force 3, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Colin Mcrae Rally, Resident Evil 2, Zelda OOT, F-Zero X and two games i am not ashamed to say...Fifa 98 Road to World Cup and ISS Pro 98 :) 2001 is a close second but i think you missed some games...Skies of Arcadia, Grandia 2, REZ, Project Gotham Racing, Rally Sport Challenge and Gran Turismo 3 :O
The year 2000 was my favorite year in gaming, the Sega Dreamcast Bombarded us with an abundance of good quality video games especially fighters (my favorite genre), and the PS2 was released that year too. I was 16 in the year 2000 and that was definitely a year that amassed so many games in a short period of time on the Sega Dreamcast. It was nonstop, before you could even get half way through a game, another one came out. Yeah 2000 kept me busy and contributed deeply to my experience as a gamer, the nostalgia just thinking about that year is REAL!!!! So many good memories.
2001 was my favorite gaming year! Dreamcast with PSO was the biggest, got a PS2, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, and played Xbox at friends' houses. Also got into Sega Saturn that year after having missed it in years past. Sooo many good games and legendary consoles/handhelds that year! Not to mention lots of good anime on Toonami on TV! I still often think back to that year as possibly my happiest time.
2001 was a massive year. The biggest games for me that year that i actually played that year was Conker's Bad Fur Day, Onimusha, Twisted Metal Black, GTA 3, and Final Fantasy X
I've been playing video games since 1998, but one of my favorite years was 2011, I had a gaming desktop and Battlefield 3, Witcher 2, and Skyrim came out.
when i was in college in around 2015-2018, i had just quit playing online games and played so many JRPGs on the Wii U and PS4. It started with Xenoblade X. some of my favorites during that time were Persona 5, Monster Hunter World, Disgaea 5, Zelda BOTW, and the Kingdom Hearts Remasters. I remember being so excited for Kingdom Hearts 3 release when 2.8 came out lol
I loved my early 1990s. Arcades were awesome during that period. I have had bunch of lousy jobs just only to spend $$ in the arcades & played my Sega Genesis @t home. Good times !
2007. Graduated High School. Halo 3, Modern Warfare, Bioshock, Orange Box, Galaxy, Crackdown, Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed and Uncharted 3. So many good games.
I feel you with Final Fantasy Chronicles. It was my two favorite Snes games in one package back. Though, my favorite gaming year for me, is 2000, when Square released all those great games in the same year. In North America, we got: SaGa Frontier 2, Front Mission 3, Vagrant Story, Chrono Cross, Parasite Eve II, Legend of Mana, Threads of Fate and Final Fantasy IX. It was a great time to be into this stuff.
It’s crazy to think how many great titles came out in 2001! In retrospect, I was a preteen, had nothing but time, and I played so many of these titles. Good times!
Holiday 1998 when I was 7 when I got a Playstation 1 for Christmas. It came with the Interactive vol 9 and Playstation underground Christmas vol 1 or 2 demo disc!
The years 98 to 01 were something really special for us gamers. I still remember going into Gamestop and seeing all four consoles and looking at all the games for hours.
Definitely 2001. MGS2, SH2, & Luigi’s Mansion all have an unforgettable atmosphere & style to me. I didn’t even grow up in that era, but they all hold up perfectly to me, especially when playing them on my CRT.
2017 was amazing. Nintendo returned to the gaming landscape with a bang. We got the Nintendo Switch with Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey releasing with it that year. Even the 3DS got awesome remakes in Metroid: Samus Returns and Fire Emblem Echoes. Sega went hard with Persona 5, Yakuza 0, and Sonic Mania. Resident Evil returned to its survival horror roots with Resident Evil 7. Crash Bandicoot was revived from the dead with awesome remakes of the first 3 games from the original Playstation. We got great indie games like Cuphead, Hollow Knight, and Divinity Original Sin 2. We got great action RPGs like Nier Automata, Nioh, and Tales of Berseria. I could go on.
2001 was magical for gaming, I remember getting Metal Gear Solid 2 that year when I got a PS2 in the summer. I also remember Halo on Xbox as well as it got my brother addicted to the franchise. Truly a great time for gaming on 2001.
Amazing memories! I definitely think gaming was at its peak between 1998 to 2003, so many great games and consoles to play them on. It’s a Shame to see the current state of gaming. It just seems so dull now .
Anybody else sit through the opening cut scene of silent hill 2 , then just stare at the mirror for three minutes until you realize this was actually the game and you can move around?
2001 was a fantastic year!! But that's definitely not everything. There was also: Zelda - Oracle of Ages/Seasons Ico Jak & Daxter Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Shadow Hearts Ace Attorney was released in Japan But Metal Gear Solid 2 and Silent Hill 2 is what made it such a special year for me!!
I dont recall the exact year, either '97 or '98, but that was the best year for me. I didnt grow up getting new releases. I was always behind. But I remember in one year, due to me mowing lawns for cash, I acquired/ played thru pretty much all the SNES greatest RPGs. Breath of fire 1 and 2, chrono trigger, FF 2 and 3 (4/6), super mario rpg, and secret of mana. (Non-rpg related mega man x). Still own them all to this day, and still some of the best games of all time. And rock'n'roll racing, Best racing game ever.
2001 was a fun year in gaming for myself. I was 16 for most of that year but the PS2 and PS1 stuff was mostly what I was playing. Getting my car and being at that age however was the first year, I starting doing things other than gaming.
2004. The fall lineup. GTA: San Andreas felt so grand compared to Vice City. Metal Gear Solid 3 gave a great final boss climax. Then I started World of Warcraft about a week after launch because I had to finish MGS. I didn’t think gaming could be much better at the time than the latest GTA and MGS. I was in awe so fast with WoW. My first month with that game felt incredible.
What crazy year for games. A lot of great albums came out in 2001 too. The Mario Odyssey Switch bundle launch was probably my personal ‘dark time’ for sure.
I feel like the turn of the millenium was the last time there was a huge technological leap that really made new types of games possible and it was amazing to see games come out on PS2, Gamecube and Xbox that I could have never imagined playing on the previous generation. Since then graphics have continued to advance and game design has become more refined, but most modern games still feel like you could have made essentially the same game on PS2 if you just downscaled the graphics enough.
Yeah,that’s why I’m still with my trusty old 360,which still has me playing literally hundreds of games on its hard drive & I have nvr felt the need to upgrade.
@@Bluegundam13 - Well, right now, most games are released to support both, the PS4/PS5, so there are only a few titles that really take advantage of the PS5.
We had a huge graphical leap (not you nintendo) this gen. I can play games that were simply not possible in last gen like ratchet and clank rift apart. It only took 20 years more than what sony promised to play pixar pictures.
2001 is until this day the best year of my life as a gamer because it was the year I played two of my favourite games of all times; Shenmue 2 and Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast wich is also until this day my favourite console ever.
For me my best gaming year was around 1994 when my brothers and i got our first home console a Sega master system with Sonic the hedgehog built in, i remember it absolutely blew our minds playing it back then we gradually got different games picked up at bootfairs our favorites were Sonic Ninja gaiden and spiderman.Makes me laugh when you consider how far all the games systems and games have got now but genuinly we were aamazed at the Master system. All the best - Jim
You hit the nail on the head. 2001 is easily the best year ever for gaming. Silent hill 2 was the first ps2 game I played. My jaw was on the floor with the opening scene. Remember getting GTA 3 and being like what I'm I playing right now. Incredible year
2004 for me: - Half-Life 2 - GTA San Andreas - World of Warcraft - Halo 2 - Doom 3 - Far Cry - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - Metal Gear Solid 3 - Knights of the Old Republic 2 - Metroid Zero Mission
The thing about playing DMC during a dark time where you'd gotten fired from a job brought me back to a similar situation in 2003, except I was playing MGS2 at the time. The whole last part of MGS2, as freaky as it is, freaked me out even more because I was generally freaked out about life.
I played GTA 3, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear 2, Halo, Silent Hill 2. Gamecube was my first Nintendo console a year later, Rogue Squadron, Shenmue, Final Fantasy 10. Some great games that year and a number I've forgotten. Some fond memories from 2001 when i was in later teens.
I remember this year so well. So many important things happened on my life all surrounded by these epic games and consoles dropping along the way. I still remember where I bought each game and who I was with. I remember who's house I was at when I played them. Will we ever see another year like this? Once in a lifetime.
I have always felt that, had the Sega Dreamcast been able to play DVD movies, it would have been more successful. Lord knows that it had an awesome library of great games, plus online play.
Boy oh boy, what a year! I was only 17 but played it most of the games, I was trully blessed by the time. Thanks for the good old memories fronm a huge Mexican fan of your content.
I think for me it was 2007 - I turned 15 that year. There were a lot of games from earlier years I enjoyed much more, but this was a year where a lot of games came out I was actually able to play near release date and not years later: Shivering Isles expansion, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Halo 3, Odin Sphere, God of War 2, Orange Box, Armored Core 4, and my favorite that year - Lost Odyssey
I was like 12 during that sick year, now I'm certainly nostalgic for these classics - even the ones I didn't have. I had a Gamecube, friends had the PS2.
Happy holidays and I wish for you, Kim, and baby HappyConsoleGamer to stay happy and healthy for your whole lives. Have been a happy subscriber since 2010. Thanks for all the content and to many more, Love you all.😊
2018 was a memorable gaming time for me I finished playing Persona 5 and Trails of Cold Steel on top of having a major spinal surgery all in the same year.
I would make a case for 1994 and the SNES: Final Fantasy 6, Mortal Kombat 2, Donkey Kong Country, Earthworm Jim, Super Metroid. And Killer Instinct came to the arcades. I had so much fun that year.
For me the year was 2016. I skipped the PS3 generation altogether as those were difficult years in my life. Then when I got the PS4 and was looking into what games I could get along with the console, I felt a little alienated because I didn't understand concepts like paying for PS+, DLC, Season Pass, Microtransactions, etc. I ended up taking a shot in the dark and bought Dark Souls 3 on launch knowing only the game's logo. What a lucky shot that turned out to be, that game (excuse the pun) effectively rekindled my love for gaming. It filled me with a sense of wonder and wanderlust, it was just beyond amazing. Since then I've had the opportunity to try franchises what were new to me, such as NieR, Metal Gear Solid, Overcooked, Hue, all really awesome games. Dark Souls 3 will always be that game I look at as a catalyst of sorts, it was even the game that got my spouse into gaming, and since then we've watched each other going through the trilogy one at a time and it was a blast!
Metal Gear Solid 2 is my favorite Metal Gear game! Remember getting it for Christmas and having my mind completely twisted by how good the graphics were. Really enjoyable gameplay and captivating cutscenes.
This is hands down the greatest year of video game history for me.. I was 10 and literally went crazy lol till this day these are my favorite franchises, metal gear solid two remake would be the best even though I love 3, there isn’t a more unique setting than MGS2. I talk about these in some of my episodes!
I love the early 2000s era of gaming definitely remember getting a gba bundle with super mario world and a dk bobblehead back in 02. I think I was 6 at the time but definitely my first intro to nintendo games.
2001 was my favorite year in gaming too. I got Golden Sun, Dragon Warrior 7, and I even started Final Fantasy when I got 8 all for Christmas that year. I spent my entire winter break playing those games non stop. 2002 was a good year too though because I played Final Fantasy X pretty much all that year(skipping LOTS of school in the process) and then I played Kingdom Hearts and Digimon World 3 the rest of that year.
Best years in the 21st century the top two that comes to my mind is 2006 (Kingdom Hearts II, Tales of the Abyss, Final Fantast XII, Grandia III, Okami, SvR 2007, Bully, etc.) & 2017 (NieR Automata, Tales of Berseria, Persona 5, LoZ BotW, Mario Odyssey, Cuphead, RE7, etc.)
Perfect timing as always man. 2001 was such an incredible year, SO many games were available. The XBOX just game out, so many PS2 games coming out or were already out..pretty sure I got my first PS2 that year as well. You picked a good one.
This year had a couple of my favourite games of all time - FFX and Silent Hill 2. And the release of my fave console after the Switch - the GameCube. GTA, DMC man. I was in uni too, that year was a write off
Had a very "serious discussion". with some friends a few months ago and we all agreed that by far, the sixth gen was the pinacle of gaming from a experimenting/risk/hardware perspective. Hardware was amazing, 3D felt mature, games were not afraid of trying new stuff and a lot of franchises were built on those premises. Not sure if this will make sense, but I think it was the last gen games felt like games, IMHO.
I feel that gen 5 was an explosive exploratory generation. Generation 6 was the pinnacle and perfected the generation 5. Generation 7, somehow is less but it's more controversial like dlc debacles and paying to play online for console. Generation 8th is even worse than 7. Innovation is less, dlc was getting bad, QA is the worst and paying online play is a definite stay. Here hoping generation 9 would be better but I highly doubt it. Best generation goes to 6 as having the best innovations, exploratories in hardware/software, better QA, and barely any controversial issues.
@@tr1bes I would argue you could say gen 7 was way worse than gen 8. For me personally gen 8 from the Japanese/indie side was fantastic. In fact when the debate comes up, I vastly preferred Gen 8 to gen 7 for the simple fact Japanese games found their footing again and indie gaming really took off. Gaming also embraced difficulty again, having deeper combat systems and also being longer in length. Many genre's that went away for abit or became more niche came roaring back like JRPG's (Persona 5, Dragon Quest XI, Octopath Traveler and others), Immersive Sims (Prey 2017, Dishonored 2) and CRPG's (Disco Elysium, Divinity Original Sin 2. Plus being respectful to players intelligence was embraced again. In gen 7 games were not that difficult in fact they were significantly dumbed down. Not to mention many western and even Japanese market were trying to replicate Uncharted and call of duty. Plus Japanese game really hit a nadir during the late 2000's and early 2010s. Since a lot of games didn't get imported and many companies in Japan were trying to replicate western gaming. I won't argue from the western side things have deteriorated significantly, with many respectable companies really falling from grace due to bad practices. However I found Gen 8 as whole to be much more enjoyable than gen 7. Gen 9 has started not bad, PS5 has some already very good exclusives like Returnal, Deathloop, Ratchet and clank and Demon's Souls Remake. However it remains to be seen how this gen will play out.
Games have gone mainstream. Therefore games are made to be appealing to everyone. Back then games were made for only gamers. It happens in all mediums eventually.
@@protodad6151 No more then gen 6, have you forgotten the huge impact Halo, Tony Hawk and Grand Theft Auto, had on the industry. Not to mention theirs lots of games that aren't for main stream appeal. Look From Software, platinum games, CRPGs and Shin Mega Ten.
@@stacetheface47 generation 7th is when indie got a footing because old retro and casual gamers wanted short, fun gameplay mechanics. Shovel Knights and Ducktales remake. The Japanese market didn't make too much impact on Western audience on 7th gen. I agree that Japanese were trying to Westernized too much. I just wish they would "BE THEMSELF" instead of copying the West. The only innovation I've seen is from Nintendo. "The Wii move controller." I don't think the 8th has many impact though except for everyone pay to play online. Bummer. The VR is somewhat innovative but it's still niche though. Indie games increase. I don't find any innovative ideas coming out of 8th gen. The 8th gen genres have pretty much shrunk in my opinion. No DDR, No Rockband type game, less driven games, less sports games type. 5th and 6th generation. We got so many sports games and driving games from all sorts of developers. Now it's either Grand Turismo or Forza. Same can be said about football, hockey and etc. EA owned most of sport title now. Same can be said about FPS. Almost every genre has shrunk in games. All the little companies are being gobble up by big companies. The only small companies that survive will have to downsize and do indie games. It's a hit or missed. I like indie games but there could be so much that most would call it indie crap games. If it doesn't draw me in within 2-3 hours, I would simply delete the games. That goes for big AAA games too. The ps3 is region free. I suggest looking at some Japanese games that never came over here. They are quite good. Macross, Fist of the N. Star. Just that almost everyone focus on the West too much that they forget what's in the East, Europe, India, S.Korea, China, and of course, Japan.
1998 will always be my favorite : Zelda OOT, Metal Gear Solid, Half Life, Gran Turismo, Banjo Kazooie, Resident Evil 2, StarCraft, Rogue Squadron, Xenogears, FF Tactics, Parasite Eve
Grim Fandango and Baldurs gate 1 aswell
Suikoden 2 came out that year too (best rpg ever imo)
98 was a great year. EQ Beta.... Man that game consumed my life.
Shining Force III, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Sakura Wars 2 and Burning Rangers
Most definitely agree with 2001 being one of the greatest years for gaming. A runner up would be 2015 for me. Bloodborne, Metal Gear Solid 5, The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, Splatoon, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Dying Light, Super Mario Maker, etc.
The early to mid 2000s was such a special time in the industry. Very nostalgic for me.
I disagree. Gaming is still improving.
We had a lot of trash back then
@@easyygo3008 naaaaw, 2000s was tops. There are some greats now, but I always go back to those 2000s games, not as many 1 and done plays
1997: Goldeneye, Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Turok, GTA, Gran Turismo, Colin McRae Rally, V-Rally, Tomb Raider 2, Mortal Kombat 4, Street Fighter 3, Broken Sword 2, Lost Vikings 2, Doom 64, Quake 2, Duke Nukem 2, Bomberman 64, Ultima Online...
It has to be 1994 for me. I had asked for Super Metroid for Christmas, expecting to only be able to get one game. But I got Final Fantasy 3 and Donkey Kong Country as well. What a monster year for games. I can't even talk about the arcade. The best arcade games of all time got released that year. I must've spent $500 in the arcade that year and I was just a teenager. Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat II, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Dungeons & Dragons, Aliens vs. Predator... it just goes on and on.
Wow great arcade games. Alien vs predator. I still play the heck out of that game. MK II one of the best MKs only behind UMK III in my opinion
Tekken 😁
1994 was a very big year for the SNES with heavy hitters like Final Fantasy 3, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, Demon's Crest you couldn't go wrong with the snes.
I always felt 1998 was one of the best years. Xenogears, Ocarina of Time, Half Life, Starcraft, Grim Fandango, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Pokemon Red/Blue. Yeah it was just loaded no matter what system you had.
98 def was my year i was 15-16
Half Life with its script-based story immersion is one of the most innovative games at its time.
i was gonna say 98 too. prob my fav too
Yea this.
98 and 01 were the best. Bit of an edge to 98 ya, but 01 is pretty damn good too
In more recent memory, 2017 was a great year for gaming for me. Zelda BOTW alone would have made it so, but we also had Mario Odyssey, Gravity Rush 2, Nier Automata, Horizon Zero Dawn, and probably many more great games I'm not even aware of!
Persona 5, Yakuza 0, Nioh, Resident evil 7, ys 8, samus returns...
@@Apamaru oh yeah, Ys VIII is my favourite jrpg!
2017 was amazing! I also like 2019 (Sekiro, Astral Chain, Devil May cry 5, RE 2 remake, Metro Exodus as well.
@@Apamaru Nioh and Ys VIII alone made it 👌🏻
Don't forget cuphead
2007 is my magical year. I was 14 and cod4, halo 3, Mario galaxy, rock band, bio shock, orange box. What a great time
Same, 2007 the 🐐
And mass effect
Great year
2007 was insane. Look at all the NEW IP's at the time that went on to become major franchises. Bioshock, Assassin's Creed, Rock Band, Mass Effect, etc... you could even call Modern Warfare a new IP considering what CoD was before that.
04 and 07 were similar but 07 online gaming really took off
I can't pick a single favorite year, but the late 90's and early 2000's will always have a special place in my heart. ❤
I'm 25 and I totally missed out on the Dreamcast era. Wish I got to experience it. I feel like the PS Vita sort of was my Dreamcast era. A system that has a hardcore following but wasn't widely successful outside of Japan. Great video!
97 and 98 were also amazing. Not just because of the console releases between saturn ps1 and n64 but also the arcade scene with neo geo, Capcom etc.
Nothing beats the 90s of gaming. Id do anything to go back to them days. Brings tears to my eye thinking about the good ol 90s and gaming.
In 2001 I was playing: Max Payne, GTA III, Alien Vs Predator 2, Jak & Daxter, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, C&C Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge, Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2, Pokemon Gold, Gran Turismo 3, Devil May Cry and Resident Evil Code Veronica X . Looking back now 2001 is one of my favourite years in gaming!
I remember playing the European version of Shenmue 2 for 9 hours straight and just being absolutely floored by it. To this day I consider it my greatest video game experience. Absolutely magical time with it.
Shenmue is still a masterpiece. Memories of distant days song is so good , and I am still making jokes with my friends about searching for sailors😂
Shenmue is something special
Totally agree; Shenmue 1 and 2 were just mind shattering at the time, way ahead of their time if you ask me.
Man, it’s really hard to argue that any year was as good as 2001. MGS2 absolutely blew my mind and was the first good game I got for my PS2. We also got Final Fantasy X that year, which was my first FF experience and it also blew my mind. Gran Turismo 3 was another game I poured many hours into. GTA III was a life-altering game for me.
Yeah, 2001 is the champ.
This is one of my favorite episodes of yours ever. 2001 was a fantastic year for video games. It makes me think about how many other great years video games had which is a lot.
Johnny I appreciate just how much you love games. Not a certain genre or anything just games. It's contagious. Thanks for all that you do and happy holidays 🤙
mine is 2015.
Witcher 3 , Dying Light , Fallout 4 , Metal Gear Solid V , Batman Arkham Knight , Rise of Tomb Raider , Undertale , Life is Strange , Rainbow Six Siege , Mad Max , Ori and the Blind Forest , Project Cars and many more.
Bloodborne.
@@airdrighmor1439 yes that too!
Im 33 years old, been gaming since i was a toddler and surprisingly one of the better and most memorable years in gaming was in 2017. Breath of the Wild, Horizon, Resident Evil 7, Nier Automata, Mario Odyssey, Cuphead, Sonic Mania, Hollow Knight.
I haven't thought about it too much, but off the top of my head 2011 was an awesome year. Uncharted 3, Mass Effect 2, Portal 2, but above all else, Skyrim and Dark Souls.
nailed it Johnny! 2001. I think that was the year the Nintendo Power Xmas issue came with the orchestratral SSBM sound track too - incredible.
For me it was 1998 when i was 14 and i played Half Life, Fallout 2, Starcraft, Grim Fandango, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Dragon Force, Shining Force 3, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Colin Mcrae Rally, Resident Evil 2, Zelda OOT, F-Zero X and two games i am not ashamed to say...Fifa 98 Road to World Cup and ISS Pro 98 :)
2001 is a close second but i think you missed some games...Skies of Arcadia, Grandia 2, REZ, Project Gotham Racing, Rally Sport Challenge and Gran Turismo 3 :O
Skies Of Arcadia technically came out In 2000 on Dreamcast In Japan first , whenever It came out first Is the official year It came out.
One of my favorite years of gaming was 2005. So many classics across all platforms from ps2 ,xbox, gamecube and pc.
2001 was magical for me, and you recapped that year wonderfully. So many memories.
1996 was a memorable one for me. Nintendo 64, NiGHTS into Dreams, Duke Nukem 3D, Quake.
The year 2000 was my favorite year in gaming, the Sega Dreamcast Bombarded us with an abundance of good quality video games especially fighters (my favorite genre), and the PS2 was released that year too. I was 16 in the year 2000 and that was definitely a year that amassed so many games in a short period of time on the Sega Dreamcast. It was nonstop, before you could even get half way through a game, another one came out. Yeah 2000 kept me busy and contributed deeply to my experience as a gamer, the nostalgia just thinking about that year is REAL!!!! So many good memories.
2001 was my favorite gaming year! Dreamcast with PSO was the biggest, got a PS2, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, and played Xbox at friends' houses. Also got into Sega Saturn that year after having missed it in years past. Sooo many good games and legendary consoles/handhelds that year! Not to mention lots of good anime on Toonami on TV! I still often think back to that year as possibly my happiest time.
2001 was a massive year. The biggest games for me that year that i actually played that year was Conker's Bad Fur Day, Onimusha, Twisted Metal Black, GTA 3, and Final Fantasy X
I've been playing video games since 1998, but one of my favorite years was 2011, I had a gaming desktop and Battlefield 3, Witcher 2, and Skyrim came out.
PS2 is an era I will never ever forget! The games franchises Halo! So many memories!
It was an awesome year indeed. Thanks for the nostalgia bro 💪🏽💯🔥
when i was in college in around 2015-2018, i had just quit playing online games and played so many JRPGs on the Wii U and PS4. It started with Xenoblade X. some of my favorites during that time were Persona 5, Monster Hunter World, Disgaea 5, Zelda BOTW, and the Kingdom Hearts Remasters. I remember being so excited for Kingdom Hearts 3 release when 2.8 came out lol
I loved my early 1990s.
Arcades were awesome during that period.
I have had bunch of lousy jobs just only to spend $$ in the arcades & played my Sega Genesis @t home. Good times !
2007. Graduated High School. Halo 3, Modern Warfare, Bioshock, Orange Box, Galaxy, Crackdown, Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed and Uncharted 3. So many good games.
1998 ... my god what a year for Bangers & game changers
I feel you with Final Fantasy Chronicles. It was my two favorite Snes games in one package back. Though, my favorite gaming year for me, is 2000, when Square released all those great games in the same year. In North America, we got: SaGa Frontier 2, Front Mission 3, Vagrant Story, Chrono Cross, Parasite Eve II, Legend of Mana, Threads of Fate and Final Fantasy IX. It was a great time to be into this stuff.
I was 13 in 2001 and this indeed was the greatest year for gaming.
And there were even more incredible games that year. CvS2 for instance is still one of the best fighters ever made.
Wow 2001 was really a banger. I wish I was into different genres back then like how I am now. I must of not realized how big some of those games were.
It’s crazy to think how many great titles came out in 2001! In retrospect, I was a preteen, had nothing but time, and I played so many of these titles. Good times!
Holiday 1998 when I was 7 when I got a Playstation 1 for Christmas. It came with the Interactive vol 9 and Playstation underground Christmas vol 1 or 2 demo disc!
My favorite game year is probably 1995 playing Earthbound then immediately after Chrono Trigger. Hard to beat such an epic combo.
The years 98 to 01 were something really special for us gamers. I still remember going into Gamestop and seeing all four consoles and looking at all the games for hours.
Definitely 2001. MGS2, SH2, & Luigi’s Mansion all have an unforgettable atmosphere & style to me. I didn’t even grow up in that era, but they all hold up perfectly to me, especially when playing them on my CRT.
2022 is shaping up to be one of those years
this comment didn't age well 2022 was another weak year.
2017 was amazing. Nintendo returned to the gaming landscape with a bang. We got the Nintendo Switch with Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey releasing with it that year. Even the 3DS got awesome remakes in Metroid: Samus Returns and Fire Emblem Echoes.
Sega went hard with Persona 5, Yakuza 0, and Sonic Mania.
Resident Evil returned to its survival horror roots with Resident Evil 7.
Crash Bandicoot was revived from the dead with awesome remakes of the first 3 games from the original Playstation.
We got great indie games like Cuphead, Hollow Knight, and Divinity Original Sin 2.
We got great action RPGs like Nier Automata, Nioh, and Tales of Berseria.
I could go on.
Growing up around this time period was insane, I could not believe the jumps in quality and the amount of games coming out. 2001 was a fantastic year
2001 was magical for gaming, I remember getting Metal Gear Solid 2 that year when I got a PS2 in the summer. I also remember Halo on Xbox as well as it got my brother addicted to the franchise. Truly a great time for gaming on 2001.
1997 was a pretty great year too. Goldeneye 64, Starfox 64, GTA 3, Diablo. Damn! Also, I would really love a new Wave Race game for Switch.
Amazing memories! I definitely think gaming was at its peak between 1998 to 2003, so many great games and consoles to play them on. It’s a Shame to see the current state of gaming. It just seems so dull now .
Lol Johnny nodding at the year was cool.
Those little touches is what makes a great video. 2001 bad ass for video games
2001 was also Max Payne. The invention of "bullet time".
Best part of sunday relaxing…. Watching the new HCG VIDEO! Really liking this best summer best year series Johnny!
While eating some take out pizza. 😋
Anybody else sit through the opening cut scene of silent hill 2 , then just stare at the mirror for three minutes until you realize this was actually the game and you can move around?
Loved this topic, just an absolute free-for-all for genres and systems to talk about. looking forward to more videos like this!
2001 was a fantastic year!! But that's definitely not everything. There was also:
Zelda - Oracle of Ages/Seasons
Ico
Jak & Daxter
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Shadow Hearts
Ace Attorney was released in Japan
But Metal Gear Solid 2 and Silent Hill 2 is what made it such a special year for me!!
I dont recall the exact year, either '97 or '98, but that was the best year for me. I didnt grow up getting new releases. I was always behind. But I remember in one year, due to me mowing lawns for cash, I acquired/ played thru pretty much all the SNES greatest RPGs. Breath of fire 1 and 2, chrono trigger, FF 2 and 3 (4/6), super mario rpg, and secret of mana. (Non-rpg related mega man x). Still own them all to this day, and still some of the best games of all time. And rock'n'roll racing, Best racing game ever.
2001 was a fun year in gaming for myself. I was 16 for most of that year but the PS2 and PS1 stuff was mostly what I was playing. Getting my car and being at that age however was the first year, I starting doing things other than gaming.
1998 and now 2023 🎉too many good games but not enough time😅
1991 forever, not just for games but for music as well
2004. The fall lineup. GTA: San Andreas felt so grand compared to Vice City. Metal Gear Solid 3 gave a great final boss climax. Then I started World of Warcraft about a week after launch because I had to finish MGS. I didn’t think gaming could be much better at the time than the latest GTA and MGS. I was in awe so fast with WoW. My first month with that game felt incredible.
You can't forget about Halo 2.
What crazy year for games. A lot of great albums came out in 2001 too. The Mario Odyssey Switch bundle launch was probably my personal ‘dark time’ for sure.
Wow! I didn't realize all of those games came out that year! I'd have to say mine is 1990, that's when my parents bought me my NES. :)
In 2001 gran turismo 3 on the ps2 as well, it just raised console driving games on another level
I feel like the turn of the millenium was the last time there was a huge technological leap that really made new types of games possible and it was amazing to see games come out on PS2, Gamecube and Xbox that I could have never imagined playing on the previous generation. Since then graphics have continued to advance and game design has become more refined, but most modern games still feel like you could have made essentially the same game on PS2 if you just downscaled the graphics enough.
Yeah its sad, every generation has less and less of a leap. The ps5 looks barely better than the ps4 to me.
Yeah,that’s why I’m still with my trusty old 360,which still has me playing literally hundreds of games on its hard drive & I have nvr felt the need to upgrade.
@@Bluegundam13 - Well, right now, most games are released to support both, the PS4/PS5, so there are only a few titles that really take advantage of the PS5.
We had a huge graphical leap (not you nintendo) this gen.
I can play games that were simply not possible in last gen like ratchet and clank rift apart.
It only took 20 years more than what sony promised to play pixar pictures.
This is often my biggest complaint with modern games. So many feel like something from 20-30 years ago (or even older) but with really fancy graphics.
2001 is until this day the best year of my life as a gamer because it was the year I played two of my favourite games of all times; Shenmue 2 and Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast wich is also until this day my favourite console ever.
I play Shenmue 3, trying beat it
gamecube and ps2 era was awesome such a turning point in life and gaming bring it back any time
For me my best gaming year was around 1994 when my brothers and i got our first home console a Sega master system with Sonic the hedgehog built in, i remember it absolutely blew our minds playing it back then we gradually got different games picked up at bootfairs our favorites were Sonic Ninja gaiden and spiderman.Makes me laugh when you consider how far all the games systems and games have got now but genuinly we were aamazed at the Master system. All the best - Jim
You hit the nail on the head. 2001 is easily the best year ever for gaming. Silent hill 2 was the first ps2 game I played. My jaw was on the floor with the opening scene. Remember getting GTA 3 and being like what I'm I playing right now. Incredible year
2004 for me:
- Half-Life 2
- GTA San Andreas
- World of Warcraft
- Halo 2
- Doom 3
- Far Cry
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
- Metal Gear Solid 3
- Knights of the Old Republic 2
- Metroid Zero Mission
I was playing Ultima Online in the year 2000. That time is still magical to me as a 14 year old.
I feel so old watching this. I remember the exact moment I got some of these games.
I loved Waverace on N64, never played the GameCube one though. I wanna say 96 or 98 stood out a lot to me. But 2001 was a beast of a year.
This was definitely my favorite generation of video games. 1999-2006 range
The thing about playing DMC during a dark time where you'd gotten fired from a job brought me back to a similar situation in 2003, except I was playing MGS2 at the time. The whole last part of MGS2, as freaky as it is, freaked me out even more because I was generally freaked out about life.
These videos always make my Sunday morning special.
Early 90s sometime for me, everything was magical then
I played GTA 3, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear 2, Halo, Silent Hill 2. Gamecube was my first Nintendo console a year later, Rogue Squadron, Shenmue, Final Fantasy 10. Some great games that year and a number I've forgotten. Some fond memories from 2001 when i was in later teens.
I remember this year so well. So many important things happened on my life all surrounded by these epic games and consoles dropping along the way. I still remember where I bought each game and who I was with. I remember who's house I was at when I played them. Will we ever see another year like this? Once in a lifetime.
I have always felt that, had the Sega Dreamcast been able to play DVD movies, it would have been more successful. Lord knows that it had an awesome library of great games, plus online play.
That alone might have saved it.
Facts brother
Boy oh boy, what a year! I was only 17 but played it most of the games, I was trully blessed by the time.
Thanks for the good old memories fronm a huge Mexican fan of your content.
I think for me it was 2007 - I turned 15 that year. There were a lot of games from earlier years I enjoyed much more, but this was a year where a lot of games came out I was actually able to play near release date and not years later: Shivering Isles expansion, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Halo 3, Odin Sphere, God of War 2, Orange Box, Armored Core 4, and my favorite that year - Lost Odyssey
Yeah 2001, 2002 and 2003 were some of the best Videogaming years ever, it felt like everyone was on top of their game back then.
The intro of Metal Gear Solid 2 it's so epic
It’s legendary no doubt ! I felt like I was watching a movie 😂
2006 was a mind blowing year for me but I'm a JRPG kinda guy. 2021 has surprisingly been an amazing year as well.
I was like 12 during that sick year, now I'm certainly nostalgic for these classics - even the ones I didn't have. I had a Gamecube, friends had the PS2.
2001 was the year I started gaming. I was 4 and got a gba with Mario kart for Christmas. One of my earliest most vivid childhood memories
2001 felt like yesterday
Absolutely unbelievable year looking back. Always the best, Johnny!
Happy holidays and I wish for you, Kim, and baby HappyConsoleGamer to stay happy and healthy for your whole lives. Have been a happy subscriber since 2010. Thanks for all the content and to many more, Love you all.😊
2018 was a memorable gaming time for me I finished playing Persona 5 and Trails of Cold Steel on top of having a major spinal surgery all in the same year.
I would make a case for 1994 and the SNES: Final Fantasy 6, Mortal Kombat 2, Donkey Kong Country, Earthworm Jim, Super Metroid. And Killer Instinct came to the arcades. I had so much fun that year.
For me the year was 2016. I skipped the PS3 generation altogether as those were difficult years in my life. Then when I got the PS4 and was looking into what games I could get along with the console, I felt a little alienated because I didn't understand concepts like paying for PS+, DLC, Season Pass, Microtransactions, etc. I ended up taking a shot in the dark and bought Dark Souls 3 on launch knowing only the game's logo. What a lucky shot that turned out to be, that game (excuse the pun) effectively rekindled my love for gaming. It filled me with a sense of wonder and wanderlust, it was just beyond amazing. Since then I've had the opportunity to try franchises what were new to me, such as NieR, Metal Gear Solid, Overcooked, Hue, all really awesome games. Dark Souls 3 will always be that game I look at as a catalyst of sorts, it was even the game that got my spouse into gaming, and since then we've watched each other going through the trilogy one at a time and it was a blast!
98 was the best gaming year of all time in my opinion. OOT and Xenogears omg it was a blast
Metal Gear Solid 2 is my favorite Metal Gear game! Remember getting it for Christmas and having my mind completely twisted by how good the graphics were. Really enjoyable gameplay and captivating cutscenes.
This is hands down the greatest year of video game history for me.. I was 10 and literally went crazy lol till this day these are my favorite franchises, metal gear solid two remake would be the best even though I love 3, there isn’t a more unique setting than MGS2. I talk about these in some of my episodes!
I love the early 2000s era of gaming definitely remember getting a gba bundle with super mario world and a dk bobblehead back in 02. I think I was 6 at the time but definitely my first intro to nintendo games.
2001 was my favorite year in gaming too.
I got Golden Sun, Dragon Warrior 7, and I even started Final Fantasy when I got 8 all for Christmas that year. I spent my entire winter break playing those games non stop.
2002 was a good year too though because I played Final Fantasy X pretty much all that year(skipping LOTS of school in the process) and then I played Kingdom Hearts and Digimon World 3 the rest of that year.
Best years in the 21st century the top two that comes to my mind is 2006 (Kingdom Hearts II, Tales of the Abyss, Final Fantast XII, Grandia III, Okami, SvR 2007, Bully, etc.) & 2017 (NieR Automata, Tales of Berseria, Persona 5, LoZ BotW, Mario Odyssey, Cuphead, RE7, etc.)
I loved the Dreamcast. Such an awesome system.
Perfect timing as always man. 2001 was such an incredible year, SO many games were available. The XBOX just game out, so many PS2 games coming out or were already out..pretty sure I got my first PS2 that year as well. You picked a good one.
Too bad 2001 was also the year when Sega discontinued the Dreamcast
This year had a couple of my favourite games of all time - FFX and Silent Hill 2. And the release of my fave console after the Switch - the GameCube. GTA, DMC man. I was in uni too, that year was a write off
Had a very "serious discussion". with some friends a few months ago and we all agreed that by far, the sixth gen was the pinacle of gaming from a experimenting/risk/hardware perspective. Hardware was amazing, 3D felt mature, games were not afraid of trying new stuff and a lot of franchises were built on those premises. Not sure if this will make sense, but I think it was the last gen games felt like games, IMHO.
I feel that gen 5 was an explosive exploratory generation. Generation 6 was the pinnacle and perfected the generation 5. Generation 7, somehow is less but it's more controversial like dlc debacles and paying to play online for console. Generation 8th is even worse than 7. Innovation is less, dlc was getting bad, QA is the worst and paying online play is a definite stay.
Here hoping generation 9 would be better but I highly doubt it. Best generation goes to 6 as having the best innovations, exploratories in hardware/software, better QA, and barely any controversial issues.
@@tr1bes I would argue you could say gen 7 was way worse than gen 8. For me personally gen 8 from the Japanese/indie side was fantastic. In fact when the debate comes up, I vastly preferred Gen 8 to gen 7 for the simple fact Japanese games found their footing again and indie gaming really took off. Gaming also embraced difficulty again, having deeper combat systems and also being longer in length. Many genre's that went away for abit or became more niche came roaring back like JRPG's (Persona 5, Dragon Quest XI, Octopath Traveler and others), Immersive Sims (Prey 2017, Dishonored 2) and CRPG's (Disco Elysium, Divinity Original Sin 2. Plus being respectful to players intelligence was embraced again. In gen 7 games were not that difficult in fact they were significantly dumbed down. Not to mention many western and even Japanese market were trying to replicate Uncharted and call of duty. Plus Japanese game really hit a nadir during the late 2000's and early 2010s. Since a lot of games didn't get imported and many companies in Japan were trying to replicate western gaming. I won't argue from the western side things have deteriorated significantly, with many respectable companies really falling from grace due to bad practices. However I found Gen 8 as whole to be much more enjoyable than gen 7. Gen 9 has started not bad, PS5 has some already very good exclusives like Returnal, Deathloop, Ratchet and clank and Demon's Souls Remake. However it remains to be seen how this gen will play out.
Games have gone mainstream. Therefore games are made to be appealing to everyone. Back then games were made for only gamers. It happens in all mediums eventually.
@@protodad6151 No more then gen 6, have you forgotten the huge impact Halo, Tony Hawk and Grand Theft Auto, had on the industry. Not to mention theirs lots of games that aren't for main stream appeal. Look From Software, platinum games, CRPGs and Shin Mega Ten.
@@stacetheface47 generation 7th is when indie got a footing because old retro and casual gamers wanted short, fun gameplay mechanics. Shovel Knights and Ducktales remake. The Japanese market didn't make too much impact on Western audience on 7th gen. I agree that Japanese were trying to Westernized too much. I just wish they would "BE THEMSELF" instead of copying the West. The only innovation I've seen is from Nintendo. "The Wii move controller."
I don't think the 8th has many impact though except for everyone pay to play online. Bummer. The VR is somewhat innovative but it's still niche though. Indie games increase. I don't find any innovative ideas coming out of 8th gen. The 8th gen genres have pretty much shrunk in my opinion. No DDR, No Rockband type game, less driven games, less sports games type. 5th and 6th generation. We got so many sports games and driving games from all sorts of developers. Now it's either Grand Turismo or Forza. Same can be said about football, hockey and etc. EA owned most of sport title now. Same can be said about FPS. Almost every genre has shrunk in games. All the little companies are being gobble up by big companies. The only small companies that survive will have to downsize and do indie games. It's a hit or missed.
I like indie games but there could be so much that most would call it indie crap games. If it doesn't draw me in within 2-3 hours, I would simply delete the games. That goes for big AAA games too.
The ps3 is region free. I suggest looking at some Japanese games that never came over here. They are quite good. Macross, Fist of the N. Star. Just that almost everyone focus on the West too much that they forget what's in the East, Europe, India, S.Korea, China, and of course, Japan.