Video games started growing in popularity in the late 1970s. As Atari consoles started to lose sales to the Nintendo Entertainment System, more gamers were ditching arcades to play their favorite games at home. The late 1980s and 1990s brought on more gaming console choices, such as the Sega Genesis. PC gaming existed, but not all households could afford a computer. Games were only evolving from simple 2-D pixels into more complex, 3D graphics.

Developers are always striving to create new games. Video games in the 1990s were incredibly creative since developers were still learning how to perfect graphics and gameplay. Many games only saw a single release, while other titles saw several sequels, such as the Super Mario Series. Technology was also evolving, and video game companies rushed to create new and powerful consoles. The NES upgraded to the Super NES while the Sega Genesis experimented with more consoles, like the Sega CD, Saturn, and Dreamcast.

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In the rush to create new video game hardware, several games were lost in the dust. Gamers who were old enough to hold a controller or control a keyboard and mouse may remember spending hours with these titles. As times passed, favorite games from the 1990s were pushed aside as newer titles were released in the 2000s. Gamers took a break from Nintendo and Sega for the newest manufacturers Sony and Microsoft.

We've compiled a list of games from the 1990s that gamers loved, but slowly got lost to time. Though you haven't played these games in forever, they made your childhood fun.

Updated April 29, 2021 by Russ Boswell: The 90s were absolutely flooded with video games. The gaming boom was running rampant through the industry, and development companies were popping up all over the place. It was a great time to be a gamer but almost impossible to play everything that was hitting store shelves each year. 

Unfortunately, a lot of really great games with interesting mechanics and visual styles fell into obscurity, overshadowed by more established franchises, or due to poor marketing. Other companies just simply didn't have the capital to keep up with larger operations. This created the perfect storm for tons of fantastic video game adventures to become nothing more than forgotten 90s digital entertainment. 

We dug deeper to find even more titles that players may have completely glazed over.

20 Discworld

via: gamerant.com

Discworld is based on the novel series by Terry Pratchett. It borrows elements from all of the books, but primarily uses the main plot of Guards! Guards!. It is a third-person click-and-point game that was released on PC, Mac, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn. The game utilized the PlayStation Mouse instead of forcing gamers to use a controller. Discworld was often praised for its high-quality voice acting, which included Eric Idle from Monty Python.

The game was a parody of heroes in fantasy and other point-and-click adventure games being released at the time. Discworld required that gamers explore the environment for clues to progress in the game. Though the plot and graphics were well-done, gamers complained that the puzzles were too difficult.

19 Vectorman

The 90s saw Sega trying everything in their power to unseat Nintendo from their pedestal. The company had seen quite a bit of success with the Sonic the Hedgehog series but Nintendo continued to crank out hit after hit, leaving Sega's consoles and their proposed mascots in the dust. Unfortunately for Sega, Nintendo would continue to dominate the world of video games until Sony and Microsoft joined the fray but that didn't stop developers from giving it their all.

Thanks to this rivalry, gamers saw a lot of interesting and unique takes on several genres. Vectorman was Sega's answer to Nintendo's dominating presence in the Platforming space. The robotic-looking green protagonist with extending limbs is fondly remembered by 90s kids (although some would be hard-pressed to recall his name).

Vectorman was a solid and entertaining platformer (with shooting mechanics) and it's unfortunate it didn't receive the attention it rightfully deserves.

18 Tenchu: Stealth Assassins

When the PlayStation was first released, the game library primarily consisted of fighting games such as Battle Shin Toshinden. Developers worked on a few games set in the days of Feudal Japan. In Tenchu, gamers could choose from Rikimaru or Ayame, members of the ninja clan, Azuma, led by Lord Gohda. They work as spies to gather intelligence and assassinate foes in the darkness. If they were caught, they risk losing the mission or being killed.

A demonic sorcerer named Lord Mei-Oh attempts to kill Lord Godha by summoning the demon Onikage. The series was first released in 1998, with a sequel appearing almost a decade later in 2009. Unfortunately, the series had already been forgotten, and the sequel was given average reviews.

17 Bust A Groove

Music rhythm action games rose in popularity, thanks to the PlayStation console. Game developers were creating unique music-based games, such as Parappa the Rapper and UmJammer Lammy. Gamers were itching for creative beats and fun graphics. Enix, now Square Enix, developed the dance and fighting game Bust a Groove.

This music game allowed gamers to choose from a diverse cast of characters, and enjoy solo or competitive modes. After picking your character, you choose a unique stage to battle with songs. Both characters would dance-off with their own unique move sets. The soundtrack was primarily techno beats. Though the game did have one sequel, the series slowly faded away.

16 Iggy’s Reckin’ Balls

The Nintendo 64 was home to a lot of interesting games and the late 90s saw the birth of new and unique genres. Blast Corps is a great example of a strange title that saw cult success thanks to its odd-yet-satisfying gameplay mechanics. Iggy's Reckin' Balls is another prime example of a strange genre-blending title that some 90s players will remember fondly.

RELATED: 10 Forgotten Nintendo Games From Your Childhood That Need A Remake

The premise of the game was pretty simple, at its core it's a "racing platformer." Players would control their character and speed through 3D side-scrolling obstacle courses as fast as possible, dealing with hazards and racing against other opponents that had their own identical stages. But past the simplicity, Iggy's Reckin' Balls is just plain odd, with colorful (and sometimes downright creepy) ball-shaped characters, odd alienesque cartoon-like worlds, and strange cutscenes.

15 The Lion King

There will always be video games based on popular movies and cartoons. The Lion King was originally released on the Sega Genesis while the movie peaked in popularity. The platform adventure game was praised for its high-quality graphics and sound effects. It felt like the movie had come to life on consoles. However, The Lion King had punishing gameplay. For a game made for children, the difficulty was almost too challenging for some.

Each level was different, with the controls being too hard to learn. Disney instructed the developers to make it so hard that it could not be finished within a normal rental period, and gamers would buy it instead. The difficulty was eventually fixed in a re-release version, making the game easier at first and more challenging as it progressed.

14 Revolution X

As games became more advanced, developers were hungry to discover the "next big thing." It's wild how many one-off releases feature strange gimmicks, odd genre-blends, and star-studded crossovers. We've actually seen the latter in the modern age, with the Travis Scott Fortnite Concert. It seems revolutionary but it's definitely not the first time we've seen a video game team up with a well-known musical artist.

Back in 1994, Midway partnered with the legendary rock band Aerosmith to create an arcade shooter like none other. Revolution X was one of the most popular machines in arcades at the time, blending light-gun-based on-the-rails shooting mechanics with a killer soundtrack from Aerosmith. It seems like a weird partnership from the outside (and it probably is, considering) but the game itself is a fun (albeit short) quarter-draining romp.

13 Illusion Of Gaia

Illusion of Gaia was released on the Super Nintendo in the early 1990s. It was an action-adventure RPG in a fantasy version of Earth. There is a wide variety of characters you will meet in the world, but only three playable characters named Will, Freedan, and Shadow. All three characters have the same health and defense bars but differ in strength levels. As the story progresses, the characters learn new techniques.

The game features real-life monuments, such as the pyramids and Great Wall of China. Illusion of Gaia was a unique take on alternative personalities and realities. Nintendo of America also forced several changes to censor the game to make it less dark with fewer religious references. While some gamers may remember the game, they may not have had the change to play it uncensored.

12 ActRaiser

The Master stands on the hand on a tree with a monster jumping in from behind.

ActRaiser was a unique game that combined both platforming gameplay and city building. It was released in the 1990s on the Super Nintendo with a sequel following in 1993. You play The Master, a god-like being, who is fighting against The Evil One, Tanzra. After an intense battle, you head to your sky palace to recuperate from your wounds. In the meantime, Tanzra has split the world into six different lands.

Each land is now ruled by one of Tanzra's six lieutenants. The Master awakens in a weakened state because his people lack faith in him. To save the world and rebuild the land, he fights against Tanzra's monsters in the platforming sections of the game, while rebuilding the six lands from an overhead perspective.

11 Bushido Blade

Though Bushido Blade could be labeled as a fighting game, it focused more on the Japanese code of honor for warriors. Bushido Blade was released on the PlayStation in the late 1990s. Players faced each other one-on-one. There were no health bars or time limits. Bushido Blade relied on a "Body Damage System," which gamers could wound their opponent to weaken them or injuring their legs to the point where they must crawl. The gameplay mechanics were more realistic than traditional fighting games.

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Bushido Blade also focused on the code of honor. Some moves were considered dishonorable, such as throwing sand in your opponent's face or striking them in the back. Breaking the code of honor would cause you to lose the game.

10 The Neverhood

A lot of Playstation players may recall the unique and visually stunning release, Skullmonkeys, which dropped onto the disc-based console in 1998. It blended entertaining platforming mechanics with painstakingly created clay-based animations. It was a beautiful, albeit odd adventure that featured a wacky protagonist and some downright spooky enemies.

What many may not know, is that Skullmonkeys was a "continuation" of a franchise that was started in 1996. The Neverhood sees the same protagonist, Klaymen, navigating a surreal world filled with Myst-like puzzles. The point-and-click adventure doesn't play anything like Skullmonkeys but it's an absolute work of art. It also features one of the wackiest soundtracks available on any game.

9 Freddi Fish

Many gamers who grew up in the 1990s began learning how to use a computer thanks to Freddi Fish. The Freddi Fish games were adventure games starring Freddi and her best friend Luther. Together, they investigate mysteries under the sea. Gamers clicked various objects on the screen. Some objects would just show Freddi and Luther doing funny actions. Other items would reveal important clues that were used to solve the mysteries.

Not only did the Freddi Fish games teach kids problem-solving skills, but also how to use a mouse and keyboard to search for clues. The series also taught young gamers about the ocean and all the sea life it contained. The Freddi Fish series debuted in 1994 with a fifth sequel released in 2001. Unfortunately, the developer Humongous Entertainment went bankrupt soon after, so we may never join Freddi and Luther on another detective adventure again.

8 Warcraft

via: myabandonware.com

Gamers may know Warcraft, but only for its MMORPG version, World of Warcraft. Warcraft originally began as a real-time strategy game called Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994. Gamers had to carefully plan their moves with small forces to defeat their enemies. You must also build towns and harvest resources to increase the power of your armies. Besides from the strategy gameplay, there was a storyline to complete about the fight against orcs and humans.

The story would change depending on which side you chose. Warcraft helped Blizzard grow as a company. It was extremely successful, and earned top scores from reviews at the time, including PC Gamer’s Editors' Choice Award. The RTS Warcraft game helped evolve other games within the genre combine resource collecting, base building, and defeating opponents.

7 Battletoads

Game developer Rare games created several popular titles in the 1990s. Battletoads was first released in 1991 on the NES. It played off of the popular culture of the decade, starring three rad toads named Rash, Zitz, and Pimple. Each game had the same basic plot: fight space mutants and defeat the evil Dark Queen. The first game has you rescue your captured brother and Princess Angela.

There is little story line so that games can focus on the gameplay. The levels all vary, from racing, climbing, and running. The toads have a variety of moves such as punching with giant fists, headbutting, and transforming into a wrecking ball. Battletoads was not only the recipient of six awards but also is known as one of the most difficult video games ever made.

6 Earthworm Jim

via: getjar.com

Earthworm Jim is a 2D side-scrolling platformer released on both Sega Genesis and Super NES consoles. Gamers take control of Jim, a walking earthworm armed with a gun and special spacesuits. He could also use his head to whip enemies. The game was a humorous parody of space adventure games and stories about rescuing damsels-in-distress. Not only is Jim evading enemies that want his special spacesuit, but he also has to rescue Princess What's-Her-Name.

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Since the developer had mostly worked on licensed characters, they took the opportunity to create wild, unique space levels. Jim's quest will take him through intestines and butcher shops. Though Earthworm Jim is not known to gamers now, it made high scores in Famicom, Nintendo Power, and was awarded Best Genesis Game of 1994 by Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine.

5 Streets of Rage

The Streets of Rage series was developed exclusively for the Sega Genesis in the early 1990s. Sega wanted to create its unique beat-em-up platformer to rival Capcom's Final Fight series. In Streets of Rage, you can choose from different characters, but former police officers Axel and Blaze have remained in all three games. You join these heroes on their quest to defeat evil Mr. X and save their city.

Each character has their unique fighting styles, strengths, and weaknesses. It was one of the most popular series on the Sega Genesis, and Sega had an interest in bringing the series to the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast. Though there were plans to bring the 2D side-scroller to a 3D action game, the project was never greenlit.

4 Mischief Makers

MischiefMakers

The introduction of The Nintendo 64 allowed both Nintendo and developers to explore new and interesting concepts but some creators stuck to the formulas that had worked so well on prior systems. Developer Treasure embraced the ability to create 3D characters and visuals but kept their first Nintendo 64 release grassroots by offering up a solid, entertaining, and often forgotten platformer.

Mischief Makers is regarded as the first platformer to appear on the N64 and makes use of similar 3D-rendering technology to what was found in Donkey Kong Country. The end result was a 2.5D side-scrolling adventure that mixed action sequences with puzzles. The game itself received a hefty mixture of criticisms with some loving its unique style and others regarding it as a misfire.

3 Panzer Dragoon

via: segabits.com

Panzer Dragoon is a series of rail shooters created in 1995. You command a dragon in a post-apocalyptic world. You are competing with others for land and resources. There are also battles for the technology of the Ancients, the people who once controlled the world thousand of years ago. Your main goal is to defeat The Empire, which is determined to collect the weapons of The Ancients and control the planet.

The cut scenes feature a unique language, Panzerese, which is based on a combination of Latin, Greek, and Russian. Three additional games were released in the year after Panzer Dragoon's initial release. In 2002, another sequel, Panzer Dragoon Orta, was developed for the Xbox. Though the games received high scores, no additional games have been released in over a decade.

2 GoldenEye 007

via: realgamerreviews.com

GoldenEye 007 was based on the 1995 James Bond film. It was released on the Nintendo 64 two years later in 1997. It was a 3D single-player first person shooter, putting gamers in the shoes of James Bond. Each level had different gameplay requirements, such as destroying items or rescuing hostages. Besides a variety of guns, gamers also had access to some of Bond's gadgets from the movies.

The game also offered a competitive Deathmatch gameplay mode with three additional players. GoldenEye 007 was not only a well-received movie-based FPS; it transformed the genre on consoles. Most FPS games were in the style of Doom or Duke Nukem. GoldenEye 007 had more realistic gameplay. It combined stealth and multiplayer, which many developers took inspiration from for later games.

1 Parasite Eve

parasite eve gameplay screenshot of the protagonist
via: theisozone.com

Parasite Eve was a third-person survival horror action game developed by Square in 1998. It followed New York City police officer Aya Brea as she tried to save the human race. An evil creature was trying to make humans extinct through spontaneous human combustion. The gameplay was similar to an RPG with a time bar where games have to wait before attacking.

Gamers also had to use a real-time combat system that would pause during battles. Aya also had a special Parasite Energy ability to defend herself in battle. The graphics and gameplay received high reviews at the time, along with a haunting soundtrack. A sequel, Parasite Eve II, was eventually released in 1999 with the third sequel in 2010, but many gamers had long lost interest in the series.

NEXT: 20 Forgotten Nintendo Games From The 90s