The 1990s were a pivotal decade for the gaming industry. The video game crash of 1983 was still fresh in the mind of many, while some people were skeptical that the success of the NES was a one-off. Thankfully, the 1990s hit the ground running with the release of the SNES, which was followed by a handful of other excellent consoles like the PlayStation 1, Dreamcast, and Nintendo 64.
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Although these ’90s consoles provided the platform for great things, it was the games themselves that made them shine. The vast majority ofgaming releases in the ‘90sfeatured a mascot character or hero as the leading star, many of which are still among the most iconic names in gaming today.
8Spyro The Dragon
The originalSpyro the Dragonwas released in 1998 and, like many late-90s platformers, took a leaf out ofSuper Mario 64’sbook with open levels that contained numerous challenges to complete and collectibles to find.Spyro’ssecond adventure,Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage(also known asSpyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer), was released in 1999 and expanded upon the series with a larger story, more side objectives, and new abilities.
Spyro’sthird adventure was released just outside of the ’90s in October 2000 and topped off the PS1 trilogy with another excellent outing.
7Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehogwas created by Sega with one clear goal in mind: replaceMarioas gaming’s number one mascot character. This was one of many ways that Sega tried to knock Nintendo off their perch, which included their famous marketing slogan for the Sega Genesis, “Genesis does what Nintendon’t.”
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Sonicand Sega may have failed in their objective, but the blue hedgehog stillgave ’90s gamers some wonderful memories, particularly withSonic Adventureand the original trilogy.
6Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong’sfirst appearance came in 1981 with the iconic arcade game of the same name that also featured the first appearance ofMario(more on him later). A handful of otherDonkey Konggames were released in the years that followed before the franchise went on a 10-year hiatus following 1984’sDonkey Kong Hockey.
Although there were a handful of fantasticDonkey Konggames in the ’90s, 1994’sDonkey Kong Countryon the SNES stood out above the rest.Donkey KongCountryset an incredibly high bar forside-scrolling platformers, one that some argue still hasn’t been topped.
5Crash Bandicoot
When the PlayStation 1 was first released, Sony had the intention of gearing the console towards more mature gamers than what Nintendo and Sega were marketing to. Despite this, Sony knew that not having a mascot character would be a risk, soCrash Bandicootwas unofficially given the role.
Although the originalCrash Bandicootgame shows its age today, it was a huge hit at the time. The game featured corridor-style levels, a form of platforming that still to this day hasn’t been well-replicated by any other franchise.Crashreceived a trilogy of platforming games in the 90s, along with anexcellent kart racerwith unapologetic similarities toMario Kart.
4Solid Snake
Solid Snake differentiates himself from most other characters on this list with his realistic appearance. As mentioned before, Sony were marketing their PlayStation 1 to mature audiences, something that Snake embodied in 1998’sMetal Gear Solid.
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Metal Gear Solidwasn’t only an important release for showing mainstream audiences that gaming wasn’t just cartoony characters and platforming; it was also important for its revolutionarystealth gameplayand in-engine cinematic cutscenes, which were groundbreaking at the time.
3Lara Croft
The firstTomb Raidergame was released in October 1996 and was fundamental to the rise offemale protagonists in gaming. The series’Indiana Jones-inspired action-adventure gameplay, historical fantasy setting, and mix of gunfighting andpuzzle-solvinghave been replicated in numerous games since the firstTomb Raider’srelease, making the franchise one of the 1990s most influential.
2Link
Link featured in not one but two of the greatest games of all time in the ’90s withThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the PastandThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which is stillthe highest-rated game on Metacritic, both releasing in the decade - along with the critically-acclaimedThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.
A Link to the PastandOcarina of Timewere both groundbreaking releases at the time and are still influencing numerous games today, over 20 years after they first hit stores.
1Mario
There’s a good chance that no gaming character will ever have a better decade than Mario in the 1990s. Like Link, Nintendo’s mascot featured in two of the greatest games of all time withSuper Mario WorldandSuper Mario 64, the latter of which was revolutionary for its open 3D levels.
Along with theSuper Mariogames, there were also a number ofMariospin-off releases in the 90s, includingDr. Mario, Mario Kart 64,Mario Party, andSuper Smash Bros.
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