Best Video Games of 1999

2025 has been quite the year for video games. Between the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 and huge releases like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Hades 2, there have been all kinds of titles for everyone.

This might be remembered as a real blockbuster year for games, but we can’t forget the fantastic years that have gone before, too. 1999 was particularly special, introducing enormously influential new IPs, fantastic sequels to well-known series, and much more. Here are some titles that are regarded as true classics.

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

Jill Valentine’s Escape From Raccoon City

The late 90s were a very special time for the Resident Evil series. Making its name with the original release in 1996, we were then treated to two sequels, which arrived in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The latter, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, is still one of the most iconic titles in the franchise, and was remade in 2020.

Narrowly surviving the harrowing events in the Spencer Mansion, Jill Valentine has critical information about the horrors Umbrella has been unleashing, making her a walking PR nightmare for the company. Their response was to unleash Nemesis, and so began the tale of her journey to escape this formidable new bioweapon and Raccoon City itself before its destruction. A stunning 2020 remake gave the game a faster-paced and more combat-oriented feel, but also reminded many nostalgic fans of all the great, horrifying times they shared with Nemesis over the years.

Crash Team Racing

It Almost Beat Mario Kart

The Crash Bandicoot platformers still have a considerable following, and it’s easy to see why. With their silly sense of humor, varied stage design, inspired vehicle riding (sometimes polar bear cub riding) stages and high level of challenge, Crash had become a superstar by the time Crash Bandicoot: Warped launched in 1998. The next year, Naughty Dog took Crash in an entirely different direction, with the spin-off Crash Team Racing.

The game did an excellent job of translating the cartoon chaos of the Crash universe into a kart racer, and it’s arguable that this is one of the few genre entries that tops Mario Kart. It’s a matter of opinion, but the powersliding and boosting system that utilized opposite bumpers on the controller was very satisfying. The tracks are nicely varied and suited the setting well, as did the weapons, which benefited from the Juiced Up mechanic if you were holding enough Wumpa Fruit. With quite a substantial story mode featuring boss battles and collectibles to boot, this was an excellent first entry in a tricky genre to pull off well. I did feel that the remake, Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fuelled lacked some of the character of the original, and the character roster isn’t exactly as iconic as that of Mario Kart, but Naughty Dog can’t be blamed for that.

Seaman

The Strangest Virtual Pet You Ever Saw

This decade was the heyday of the Tamagotchi, with relentlessly beeping birds and other pixelated creatures calling out around the world. As a virtual pet experience, though, they were nowhere near as odd as the 1999 Dreamcast cult classic Seaman. In this game, players hatch a Seaman egg and then care for it through various stages of its life cycle. Feeding and tank cleaning are musts for any aquarium, and they’re emulated here, but there’s more to it as well.

Peculiar fish/frog hybrids aren’t necessarily the most interactive of pets, but the rarely-used Dreamcast microphone got an airing in this title, allowing players to speak with their new friend. Seaman takes more of a scientific approach in that it frames the experience more around studying the species, and the dulcet tones of narrator Leonard Nimoy lend a sort of intellectual charm to it all. More than a throwaway novelty, it’s possible to spend a lot of time with Seaman if the unique experience draws you in.

Medal Of Honor

The Beginning Of A Legendary FPS Story

The World War II shooter is a classic FPS concept, bringing to mind the boots-on-the-ground squad action that has defined much of the genre. For younger gamers, the Call of Duty titles will largely be the face of this concept, but it’s also important not to forget what came before: the classic Medal of Honor series.

The first of these arrived in 1999, a captivating blend of action and drama (little surprise with Stephen Spielberg’s involvement in the project). The idea was for weaponry, storytelling, and mission objectives appropriate to the conflict, which kept up the intensity of the campaign while also being grounded and lending some authenticity to the experience. Medal of Honor would become a kind of blueprint for Call of Duty when it made its own debut four years later, and the latter series would go on to bring us some fantastic titles. Though Medal of Honor‘s future is uncertain, it’s more than just a name from the past: The most recent game to bear the name was 2020’s Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, which returned to the World War II setting in VR.

Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver

A Beautiful, Macabre Action Adventure

Frequently associated with the original PlayStation, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was also released for the Dreamcast (arriving in 2000) and PC. It’s a game many will remember for its fantastic atmosphere, haunting music, and, as was the style at the time, an absolutely diabolical camera that simply could not stay where you wanted it. This made platforming sections all kinds of fun to navigate, but that’s early 3D gaming for you.

Still, this is a deep and absorbing action-adventure. Our anti-hero, Raziel, can shift between the Material and Spectral realms, absorb the souls of foes, and develop magical abilities as the game goes on. Combat is a little simplistic, but there’s some variety in the types of weapons and finishing moves Raziel can unleash. 25 years after its original release, this quest to restore some semblance of balance to the shattered realm of Nosgoth was remade, introducing much-needed features like a map.

Ape Escape

Time-Travelling Monkey Business

Ape Escape is another action-adventure platformer that hit the PlayStation, but tonally, it couldn’t be any more different from Soul Reaver. This title’s beloved not for its vampires and other demonic horrors, but for its cartoon monkeys and their shenanigans. Its outlandish story revolves around a professor who has developed a Peak Point Helmet, which dramatically enhances the intelligence of the wearer. An amusement park monkey, Spector, gets his furry paws on one, sets his monkey friends free, and then takes control of another of the professor’s inventions, a time machine. He sends his hairy army to change the past, present, and future for monkeykind.

Yes, all of this is really happening, and the solution is to send the protagonist, Spike, back through time himself to recapture all those monkeys using the professor’s patented Time Net. Time travel is always an excellent way to vary the themes of stages, and Spike will encounter everything from dinosaurs to futuristic robot designs on his quest. Completionists continue to have a blast capturing each monkey, as they each have different behaviors and reside in different parts of the large, open stages. You unlock a range of new gadgets as you proceed through the levels, so replaying them when you’re tooled up is crucial to catching them all. There’s a bit of puzzle element to working out how to make them vulnerable, and some will attack you right back.

Aside from the premise, which launched several sequels and minigame compilations, one of the most unique aspects of Ape Escape is that it required the DualShock controller. Not just for the feedback, but for navigation. For instance, players would use the right stick to steer Spike’s RC car gadget and the left to control him simultaneously.

Final Fantasy 8

A Unique Slice Of Series History

By the time Final Fantasy 8 launched in 1999, the series was already 12 years old. Over eight mainline games, it had established and tweaked all kinds of elements, from the well-known ATB system to the job system and the style of the UI. This title, arguably, did the most so far to shake things up. Junctioning, drawing magic, and equipping Guardian Forces can feel clunky, making things a little challenging for newcomers, and the level scaling can be punishing. Even so, the extensive customization offered by the Junctioning system gives players in the know a lot of freedom if they’re willing to invest the time.

The game undoubtedly has its foibles, but it should be respected for trying something new. Aside from mechanics, though, it’s a fantastic-looking title for its time, and the music is wonderful. The plot is also very ambitious and far-reaching, encompassing memorable moments that range from Zell’s hilarious reactions to the cafeteria’s hot dogs to Squall and Rinoa’s harrowing experience while adrift in space. An experimental, gripping, creative, finely-crafted RPG that could use a remake.

Rayman 2: The Great Escape

Wonderfully Inventive Platforming Action

Rayman has always had the misfortune of existing in the same era as even greater platforming legends like Mario. This doesn’t directly hurt the quality of his best games, but it does tend to mean that they’ll often be overshadowed. Rayman 2: The Great Escape, for instance, perhaps isn’t as revered as the best of Nintendo’s hero’s output, but it’s nonetheless a wonderful end-of-the-last-millennium platformer.

Admiral Razorbeard is the antagonist of this grand adventure, having imprisoned everyone he could get his hands on across the Glade of Dreams. The pursuit will see Rayman traversing lots of the popular platformer staples, from fiery caverns to precarious cliffs. There’s a charming and whimsical spirit that pervades every inch of the game, and Rayman’s abilities ensure that it has a unique feeling all its own. When attacking enemies, for instance, he can charge his energy blasts from his hands and strafe enemies’ own shots at the same time.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

The Launch Of A Legend

Sometimes, video games have a way of making activities appealing that you’ve never pursued in real life. Fishing, for instance. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater had that effect, and the wider series it would become just built on that mainstream appeal. Even if Hawk’s the only pro skater you can name, it’s just so easy to have a blast here.

As the Birdman himself, Elissa Steamer, Rune Glifberg, or another of the pros on offer, the player has the freedom to move around a large skatepark, performing tricks on rails and obstacles. There’s a real arcade feel to the action, which makes it easy to string maneuvers together using changes of direction and button presses. It’s all about shooting for high scores, and it’s relentlessly engaging to revisit stages over and over, trying to perfect your runs and beat your previous best. It’s a game that matches your energy like few others. In free roam, you can pick a stage, mess around and practise (finding a secret or two along the way) for as long as you like without any pressure. If you want to compete against another player, you can do so. There’s also a more involved career mode for those who don’t want to play as existing pros but become one themselves. The game is a solid package all around, and a perfect foundation on which to build the wide and varied Tony Hawk franchise.

Super Smash Bros.

Another Great Start For A Beloved Series

Back in 1999, you might have thought that it wasn’t very like Nintendo to put the stars of some of their biggest series into an arena and have them battle each other. We know better over a quarter of a century later, of course. The original game’s total roster of a dozen seems laughable compared to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s great wealth of characters, but these were the days before it was even imaginable that Sonic would sign up for such a game, or the likes of Persona 5‘s Joker even existed.

In the context of its time, though, the original Super Smash Bros. was quite a revolution. Just as with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, it immediately established the conventions that would come to define the series. The damage percentage and blast zone system, the special moves, the movement around larger stages, and the general four-player carnage have become inherently Smash. Over time, important features like collectible trophies and elaborate single-player story modes were added, and new mechanics have been introduced (some, like tripping, were not well-received). The original is understandably rather barebones in comparison, but it’s an undeniable classic that started a phenomenon. Some of the reactions to Smash Ultimate’s DLC character reveals proved just how much the series continues to mean to people all over the world.