The 1990s was a period of time that offered all kinds of memorable entertainment; video games were certainly no exception. Nevertheless, many breathtaking video games from the ’90s — which have not been forgotten by die-hard fans — bode in the shadows of irrelevance, although they could be rebooted to the delight of all gamers.
The following ’90s games span several genres, but they should all be points of nostalgia for veteran gamers and intrigued younger ones. Reboots could help bring these properties back into the public eye, as they create long-lasting memories for new players.
10 Bust A Groove
Bust a Groove 1 & 2 blend together the typical dancing game with several fighting game characteristics. The head-to-head competition is complemented with a wide array of costumes and musical genres.
The Bust a Groove series was beloved by many for its general rambunctiousness as well as its fun, flamboyant characters and scenery. The games certainly offered a clever twist to the typical dance game, and a reboot in the 2020s could be worth trying despite the franchise having a rather small fan base.
9 Grim Fandango
The critically acclaimed adventure game came out in 1998 and was remastered in 2015, but fans would’ve been more excited by a full-fledged reboot. The video game’s unique aesthetic and engaging storyline would be worth transforming into something entirely new.
Taking place in the “Land of the Dead,” gamers play as an insurance agent who assists a newly-arrived soul, Mercedes, in her journey to the “Land of Eternal Rest,” which gamers still seem to not fully understand, as the game’s plotline is still debated on to this day.
8 Chrono Trigger
The Nintendo role-playing game Chrono Trigger was released in 1995 and led to numerous spin-off games, including Radical Dreamers, Chrono Cross, and Chrono Break. Although the releases leaked into the early 2000s, critics agree that the franchise’s earlier chapters are superior to the later ones.
Thus, a full reboot of the ’90s original would be ideal for the fifth chapter — though, it’s improbable because it has been seventeen years since the release of the last entry. The Chrono series was certainly popular enough — selling millions of copies globally — to warrant more than the “remastering” that it has undergone instead.
7 Interstate 76
Described as a vehicular combat game, Interstate 76 is a ’90s title that is a blast to play. You voyage through the desert landscape, completing tasks and shooting enemy vehicles with rockets through a reticle pointing from the hood of your muscle car.
Fans also enjoy the game’s humorous cut-scenes and dialogue, which excel the gaming experience even further. A rebooted Interstate 76 has so much potential, especially considering how much video games have evolved in the last two decades.
6 Runabout
Runabout is a ’90s classic that has been already rebooted, as Runabout 3D: Drive Impossible was offered on the Nintendo 3Ds. However, the original Runabout games were released on PlayStation and should be rebooted for consoles rather than just handheld.
Originally titled Felony 11-79, Runabout is a free-roam racing game that included a fleet of unlockable vehicles. Some might even point to Runabout as being the GTA before GTA.
5 BioForge
This futuristic action/adventure game puts gamers in control of a cyborg trapped in a research facility. Players work with various creepy-looking, robotic allies to escape the facility and the “Mondites” (aliens that abduct people for scientific experiments).
BioForge faced mixed reviews from critics at the time of its release, but the dystopian sci-fi game’s unique charm could be worth rebooting. The premise of this ’90s game is surely dynamite, and in tandem with 202os graphics, a new BioForge could be mesmerizing, allowing the creators’ ambitions to be fully realized.
4 Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
Before the boisterously popular Assassin’s Creed franchise, there was the Tenchu series. The first installment of Tenchu was released in 1998 and was celebrated almost unanimously in the gaming industry.
The samurai-themed, action/adventure stealth games represent highpoints in video game development during the turn of the century. Since then, Assassin’s Creed and several other franchises have dominated the current stealth category, but Tenchu is nuanced by its samurai motif and should at least be competitive enough to be rebooted.
3 Astal
A 2D side-scrolling platformer, Astal was released in 1995. The Sega game offered a surfeit of rainbow color and an engaging campaign of levels that are capped off by decently challenging bosses.
Accompanied by a little purple bird, gamers play as Astal, who is pursuing his human counterpart in Leda, the other human that inhabits Quartilla, a universe designed by Goddess Antowas. The 2D fantasy game may thrive if it were rebooted into a 3D form similar to how other Sega favorites were recreated.
2 Meridian 59
The first mass 3D multiplayer video game ever created, Meridian 59 is an undeniable classic that PC gamers continue to play to this day. The original is certainly a fantastic role-playing game, but it has its shortcomings in its current form.
Although the game has been updated several times and stands as one of the longest-lasting original RPGs, Meridian 59 would benefit from a complete reboot. There is something more to the game than just it being the first of its kind. Otherwise, gamers wouldn’t still be playing it on Steam. Thus, there should be enough public interest for an attempt at rebirth.
1 Illusion Of Gaia
Illusion of Gaia is an action role-playing game that was released for Nintendo. Gamers play as Will, a boy who has psychic powers, and with the help of his allies, he ventures through a fantasy version of earth that includes the Great Wall of China, Incan ruins, and more famous sites.
The role-playing game’s puzzles are engaging, and the story is fairly rich and worth a modern gamer’s time and interest. Fans of the original game are still clamoring for a reboot of the RPG favorite.
NEXT: 30 Video Games From The 90s Everyone Played (But Forgot About)
