The 21st century began on January 1, 2001, which means that the entire first part of the gaming industry took place in the 20th century. This included major consoles such as the NES, Game Boy, PS1, Dreamcast and many others. With each new console, the graphics saw a significant jump in quality that was noticeable, but now it's harder to tell the console generations apart because the graphics levels are so minimal.
The best games that prove that “graphics aren't everything”
These games may not look as visually stunning as others, but they more than make up for it in the gameplay department.
So which games released in the 20th century are still considered technical marvels that still look good in some way? Even if they don't know it, they are still important to history and stand out as true achievements in game development. These games will use the original release dates, which in many cases means they were first released in Japan. These games will be ranked based on how visually impressive they were.
Final Fantasy 9
Square's Love Letter
Final Fantasy 9 is one of the best looking RPGs on the PS1, and while the characters are a little misshapen, they have more detail than any other entry on the PS1, from Black Waltzes to Zidane. The world itself also feels more alive, the cities and kingdoms are built to perfection and the world map exudes a mysterious and creepy atmosphere.
This is the type of game that invites the player on an adventure from the first minute, and it clearly is Final Fantasy the team gave it their all Final Fantasy 9 the PS1's swan song as a major gaming feat.
Paper Mario
He plays a cartoon
Paper Mario
- Released
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February 5, 2001
- ESRB
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E For everyone For comic mischief
Paper Mario is a spiritual successor Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the SNES, which was Mario's first RPG adventure. Instead of the realistic look of the N64, developer Intelligent Systems opted for a more cartoony look, as if Mario and the other characters existed in a coloring book world.
Featuring 2D animation, this is an N64 game that has stood the test of time, looks like nothing else on the N64 in the 2000s, and still looks amazing today, though there were undoubtedly better-looking sequels.
Pixel Perfect Pummeling
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes they may not have had top-notch graphics for the late 90s fighting arcade market, but Capcom made good use of their sprite artist to create one of the most iconic fighting games of all time. The sprite models are intricately detailed and animated so well it's almost like watching a cartoon.
The way Venom explodes into tentacles or the way Mega Man fires his cannon all look immaculate on screen, making it easy to pick them up and play or just marvel at what these artists were able to achieve.
Sneaking into the cinema
Metal Gear Solid
- Released
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October 20, 1998
- ESRB
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M For adults 17+ due to blood and gore, sexual themes, violence
Metal Gear Solid is a cinematic tour de force in which Hideo Kojima and his team shot all the cyclones. No aspect of the PS1's internal capabilities was ignored as this game pushed the boundaries.
Superhero games with the best graphics
From space travel to web travel, all these superhero games look top-notch thanks to their top-notch graphics and stellar art direction.
At first glance, this may not look impressive now, as the game is primarily played from a top-down perspective. That said, the actual models are rendered well, which players can see in the cutscenes, which is where the visual flair really came through. With great voice acting and even better direction, it was impressive that a PS1 game could have graphics in a game that at the time looked so good in a cutscene without high levels of CG.
Soulcalibur
A more open fighter
Soulcalibur was a 3D fighting game, even if it doesn't look as good as it does today Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes yes, it was a killer app on the Dreamcast in 1999. Instead of fighting with fists, the characters used weapons, including Mitsurugi who used a katana.
Each fighter's fighting style was unique, well-animated, and the more open arenas gave players a better idea of their palace, making strategy easier than most fighting games. Plus, Soulcalibur was a game anyone could passively learn.
Super Mario 64
Mustache stretching
Super Mario 64 beckoned players as they went shopping with their parents and Mario's voice beckoned them to try out the demo. It was one of the first fully realized 3D platformers, and leave it to Nintendo to create a game that launched with a console delay decades later.
What was amazing about the game's visuals was that Nintendo converted a lot Mario characters and enemies go 3D without anyone looking weird. The openness and size of the levels were impressive even for 1996.
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Pure magic
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time also converted a well-established 2D franchise, Zeldainto 3D, which remains a fan favorite to this day. While not quite an open world game by today's standards, the way Hyrule Field connected with the other locations was great. The visuals of this game looked massive due to the design, and while the characters still had a bit of a cartoonish look to them, their realism was well portrayed through charismatic reaction animations.
Also, the transformation from young to adult Link is still impressive, along with how Nintendo once again used the means to change everything in Hyrule, thanks to the time jump.
Fantasy star online
An MMO for everyone
Fantasy star online ticked all the boxes for Dreamcast players. It was an MMO-like experience that didn't tax players with an intrusive fee. The characters were large, impressively detailed between armor sets and weapons, and the monsters were also quite terrifying for their size.
Anime Video games with the best graphics
These games go to great lengths to match the visuals of the anime series they're based on, resulting in gorgeous anime-style graphics.
The dungeon design was repetitive, but the action combat was so good that players didn't care, plus the lush jungles and dank caves still gave players an immersive feel. Players just wanted to level up to achieve the next quest and see what big and formidable boss awaits them next.
Gran Turismo 2
Speed Reality Racer
The Gran Turismo the series prides itself on pushing console hardware to make its cars look as realistic as possible Gran Turismo 2 it's the grand finale for PS1. Of course the car technology has improved a lot, but no one could match the realism of these cars on the PS1.
They handled well, made the right sounds, and finally the game gave players a glimpse into the automotive industry with several customization options to live out their racing dreams.
Shenmue
Dreamcast excellence
Shenmue
- Released
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December 29, 1999
- ESRB
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t
Shenmue is a game ahead of its time, too good for the Dreamcast. The complexity of the capital city and other areas have been expertly crafted to encourage exploration and immersion, along with making the character models look more realistic. It felt like a good detective story with a bit of martial arts that changed the design to resemble a more adventure game.
The dialogue exchanges are now laughable, and of course the spiritual successor to Yakuza lived on and pushed the boundaries even further. For 90s and 20th century games though Shenmue it was like a glimpse into what the industry could do if a little heart and soul were put into it.
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