Games That Best Represent Millennials

Everybody who was born from 1980 to 1996 belongs to the age demographic that’s colloquially known as Millennials. Truth be told, they are really lucky, because they got to experience video games during their childhood and teenage years, just around the time the industry was finally finding its footing, from the early Console Wars between Sega and Nintendo, to the dawn of 3D gaming and the rise of online multiplayer.

Today, Millennials are between 30 and 45 years old, and gaming was a huge part of their upbringing: even if some of them don’t play video games anymore, it’s safe to say that they have played one of these titles at some point during their youth. There are a lot of games that represent Millennials as a whole, but the following ten are the most notorious and iconic ones.

Honorable Mentions:

• Doom
• Mario Kart 64
• Super Smash Bros.
• Perfect Dark
• Counter-Strike
• Half-Life
• The Sims
• Rollercoaster Tycoon
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
• Need for Speed
• Diablo
• Age of Empires
• Mortal Kombat
• The Secret of Monkey Island
• Resident Evil
• Silent Hill

Sonic The Hedgehog

The Embodiment Of The “Rad” Attitude Of The ’90s

Older Millennials can confirm that ’90s culture was pretty much defined by the “Cool” and “Rad” attitude that could be seen in most movies, TV shows, and, obviously, video games released around that time. No video game mascot embodied this cultural movement better than Sonic the Hedgehog, which was specifically designed to compete against Mario.

Sega did such a good job at marketing the Sega Genesis that most ’90s kids tried out the original Sonic the Hedgehog at one point or another, whether they owned the console or played it at a friend’s house. The blue hedgehog’s carefree personality, combined with the fast-paced gameplay of his debut game, really resonated with audiences, and it allowed Sonic to become a huge cultural icon in the following years.

Super Mario 64

The Revolutionary Title That Redefined 3D Gaming

The rivalry between Sonic and Mario during the 90s was definitely quite fierce, but everything changed with the arrival of 3D gaming. In 1996, Nintendo released its very first home console that was capable of running 3D graphics, the Nintendo 64, and its biggest launch title, Super Mario 64, made perfect use of its innovative hardware.

From a technical point of view, Super Mario 64 was revolutionary for its time because the N64’s analog thumbstick allowed players to move Mario around in pretty much any direction, which elevated the platforming gameplay. But that’s not the only reason this game became a worldwide phenomenon: the colorful graphics, the surprisingly captivating music, and the massive levels full of Power Stars to find, all of these elements worked together to create a truly unforgettable experience. Mario was doing quite well before the release of Super Mario 64, but this game cemented him (and his series) as an undisputed Millennial icon, and Sonic was sadly never able to catch up to him.

Crash Bandicoot

Completed The Platforming Mascot Trifecta Of The ’90s

As impactful and revolutionary as Super Mario 64 was, not every Millennial got the chance to try it out during its heyday, because most families only owned one console. Those who had the original PlayStation could enjoy Crash Bandicoot, a very fun 3D platformer that quickly became another massive gaming mascot that could go toe-to-toe against both Mario and Sonic. It could even be argued that Crash himself was even more recognizable than the blue hedgehog by the end of the decade.

The original Crash Bandicoot combined the simplistic but challenging gameplay of the old-school 2D Mario games with an anthropomorphic mascot with a carefree attitude that was reminiscent of Sonic the Hedgehog’s titular character (although Crash was dumb and not “cool”). This worked extremely well, and the critical and commercial success of this game led to multiple direct sequels that were even better than their predecessor.

Goldeneye 007

The Quintessential Nintendo 64 Multiplayer Game

The Nintendo 64 was filled to the brim with high-quality titles that offered entertaining multiplayer experiences, like Mario Kart 64 or Super Smash Bros., but the undisputed king of local multiplayer on N64 was GoldenEye 007, Rare’s revolutionary adaptation of the James Bond film of the same name. This game boasted a surprisingly comfortable control scheme that proved first-person shooters could be played efficiently on home consoles, without a mouse and a keyboard.

GoldenEye 007’s solo campaign is really enjoyable and has a lot of memorable moments, but this game is still fondly remembered mainly due to its local multiplayer mode. Many Millennials spent endless nights facing each other in intense matches, all while picking different characters, maps, and weapons. It was really fun and addictive, and those who still play FPS online nowadays most likely got their passion for these types of games because they played GoldenEye 007 with friends when they were younger.

Final Fantasy 7

It Single-Handedly Popularized JRPGs In The West

Both the Final Fantasy IP and the JRPG genre in general were moderately popular during the 80s and early 90s, with many iconic titles by Squaresoft being available on the Super Nintendo, like Final Fantasy 6, Secret of Mana, or Chrono Trigger. However, after distancing itself from Nintendo and partnering up with Sony, Square released the first 3D entry in the Final Fantasy franchise, Final Fantasy 7, on PlayStation, and this ambitious turn-based RPG ended up changing the industry forever.

Yes, Final Fantasy 7’s box-like character models and pre-rendered backgrounds look outdated today, but its graphics were impressive for its time, and it helped make the world of Gaia feel all the more real and magical. While its core gameplay is quite solid (with the Materia system being particularly versatile), this game resonated with so many people due to its captivating narrative, its three-dimensional characters, and its beautiful soundtrack. Final Fantasy 7 may not have aged flawlessly, but it is still a masterpiece whose success spawned many JRPG fans and popularized the entire genre in the West.

Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow

When “PokeMania” Took Over The Entire World

A discussion about games that best represent Millennials can’t be complete without mentioning the original Pokemon titles, Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, and Pokemon Yellow. In a brilliant example of brand synergy, Nintendo released these monster-taming RPGs in North America around the same time the Pokemon anime began airing on TV in that region, and the IP became so massively popular so quickly that it spawned its own cultural phenomenon, known as “PokeMania”.

This franchise was everywhere in the 90s and early 2000s, and it’s safe to say that most Millennials consumed some type of Pokemon content at some point in their youth, whether it was the original Game Boy games, the anime, the theatrical films, or the Trading Card Game. While Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow were full of flaws, gamers didn’t care because the gameplay was simple, effective, and very addictive, not to mention that the designs of the Pokemon themselves were quite unique, like nothing that had been seen in the gaming industry before that point.

The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time

Often Considered One Of The Best Video Games Ever Made

In the early days of the internet (which was dominated by older Millennials), the common consensus was that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the best video game ever made. While many people don’t agree with that sentiment anymore, it can’t be denied that the first 3D Legend of Zelda is still a masterpiece that has held up surprisingly well, so Millennials can’t be blamed for holding it in such high esteem.

Similar to Super Mario 64 before it, Ocarina of Time took everything that had made the 2D Zelda games so special and brilliantly translated it into the world of 3D gaming, complete with a Z-Targeting system that made the action less confusing and influenced how combat in 3D games would be designed from that point onwards.

On top of all that, Ocarina of Time featured a semi-open-world version of Hyrule that was a joy to explore and a complex time-travelling story that could be very emotional and compelling at times. The massive critical and commercial success of this game helped make the Legend of Zelda IP even more popular than it already was and led to the development of many other amazing 3D entries.

Halo: Combat Evolved

Microsoft Dipped Its Toes Into The Console Wars With This Amazing FPS

The turn of the millennium saw a major shift for the gaming industry, as the failure of the Dreamcast forced Sega to drop out of the console race, meaning that Sony and Nintendo now had one less competitor to care about. But that’s exactly when Microsoft threw its hat into the ring with the release of the original Xbox and its legendary flagship title, Halo: Combat Evolved.

The original Halo felt like the unofficial spiritual successor to GoldenEye 007, as it boasted both an engaging single-player campaign and an addictive local multiplayer mode that Millennials (most of whom were already teenagers by this point in time) played with their friends for hours on end. But that’s not all, because Halo: Combat Evolved introduced audiences to Master Chief, who quickly became a huge gaming icon, and to the fascinating Sci-Fi world he lives and fights in. Halo 1 quickly cemented Xbox as a gaming powerhouse, and the entire brand definitely wouldn’t exist today if it weren’t for this game.

The Sims 2

Allowed Millennials To Live Out Their Wildest Dreams

There’s an age-old internet saying that claims “Millennials love The Sims because it’s the only way they can actually afford a house.” All comedy and exaggerations aside, it is true that Maxis’ classic life simulation series resonated with Millennials because it allowed them to live out their fantasies, especially considering most of them played it when they were younger, years before they could even dream of having their own house with their own furniture and decorations.

The original The Sims was a groundbreaking PC game, but it hasn’t aged very well, whereas its sequel, The Sims 2, was bigger and better in every way. Its 3D graphics and its full camera movement allowed for more interesting and precise customization, and its vast array of expansions (like University, Pets, or Nightlife) gave players even more fun items, locations, and activities to play around with. The fact that many fans still play The Sims 2 today (despite the fact that this series is already in its fourth mainline entry) is a testament to the impact this game had on them, especially on those who played it when they were kids.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

A Violent Open-World Sandbox Game With Lots Of Things To Do

By the mid-2000s, most Millennials were either teenagers or young adults, and most of them were ready to play something that felt more mature and risqué. Fortunately for them, Rockstar had released Grand Theft Auto 3 right around that time, which pretty much revolutionized and popularized the open-world sandbox genre. However, as good and important as this game and its direct sequel (Vice City) were, most Millennials agree that the GTA game they played the most on their PS2s was 2004’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

In terms of presentation and gameplay, GTA: San Andreas was not that different from its predecessors, but it excelled in other areas, like content, customization, and story. The open-world map was not only significantly larger than the maps in both GTA 3 and Vice City, but it was also jam-packed with countless things to do, which was elevated by the fact that players could either follow the main story or do whatever they wanted, even if it resulted in them being chased by the police. Most adult Millennials today are obsessed with the Grand Theft Auto series and are eagerly awaiting the upcoming release of GTA 6, and it can all be chalked up to GTA: San Andreas and the impact it had on them.