Opinion Your 1993 GOTY (DOOM, SimCity 2000, Day of the Tentacle)

[Bonfires Down]

I've got a long ass list for you this time. Suffice to say, the year is stacked.

Adventure game fans, I have to ask you to choose between 4+ of the best games in the genre this time. Please don't hit me.

FPS fans, city builder fans: enjoy

I’ve been split on whether it is fair to include Mario All-Stars so I hope you don’t vote for it

If you want to vote for one of the games from the honorable mentions or another game from the same year, write a comment and I’ll add your game to the poll. Keep in mind that I’m listing games by their release date in the west, unless it’s a Japan exclusive, and in case of arcade first games by their arcade release date. The poll system allows for changing your vote. And if you see a game you know you are going to vote for in the honorable mentions for the following year, let me know.

Honorable mentions 1993:
Sonic CD
Gunstar Heroes
Simon the Sorcerer
Cannon Fodder
Rocket Knight Adventures
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen
Return to Zork
Betrayal at Krondor
The 7th Guest
Space Quest V: The Next Mutation
Star Fox
MegaRace
Ridge Racer
Virtua Fighter
NBA Jam
Landstalker
Pocky & Rocky
Aladdin SNES/Genesis
Cool Spot
Eternal Champions


Preliminary list for 1994:
DOOM II: Hell on Earth
Super Metroid
X-COM/UFO: Enemy Unknown
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (& Knuckles)
Beneath a Steel Sky
System Shock
Master of Magic
Theme Park
Mega Man X
Final Fantasy VI
Sensible World of Soccer
Star Wars: Tie Fighter
Jagged Alliance
Donkey Kong Country
Wing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger
The Elder Scrolls: Arena
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans
Heretic
Marathon

Honorable mentions:
Illusion of Gaia
Earthworm Jim
Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom
Shining Force II
Demon’s Crest
Alien vs. Predator (Arcade)
Blackthorne
Uniracers/Unirally
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Tekken
Daytona USA
Soleil/Crusader of Centy
Dynamite Headdy
Killer Instinct
Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed
Jazz Jackrabbit

 

[Kurt Russell]

I'm going with Ultima Underworld II. It might not have been unique, but it sure had a ton of amazing ideas that would go on to influence games even today.

 

[Sarcastico]

Doom, AKA the best game ever!

 

[Schnitzelfee]

thats an impossible list... all great games... just play them all

but 1994?

every answer other than X-COM is wrong

 

[Digoman]

Ok.. this one is hard... I'm going to have to think about a it a little.

Probably should go to DOOM because.... well, it was DOOM. Played so much it.

But the nostalgia factor is weighting heavily for the adventures games, only problem is how the hell do you choose between Gabriel Knight, Day of the Tentacle or Sam and Max.

And then we have Syndicate, Masters of Orion and... X-Wing.

Fortunately I wasn't that much into Myst and while I enjoyed Simcity a lot it didn't come close to my other favorites.. so at least these ones aren't on my "list".

Fuck..... as much as I remember some other games more fondly because their genres died (and some are still dead... looking at you space sims) I think it has to be DOOM. I was also probably my first time playing a game on LAN, even it it was over a serial cable.

As always, PC gaming, actually gaming in general, was on fire in the 90's.

 

[arts&crafts]

Links Awakening is still one of the greatest games of all time and it holds up beautifully so I gotta go with it.

 

[Oldschool PC]

1. Doom - Episode 1 is game design perfection. I replay it several times a year.

2, Betrayal at Krondor - Rich narrative that exists in perfect harmony with the open world design

3. Dark Sun: Shattered Lands - Combines the best elements of Baldurs Gate and Fallout years ahead of both

4, Master of Orion - Greatest 4X space strategy ever made

5. Sam and Max Hit the Road - One of my favorite adventure games of all time

 

[NarohDethan]

I’ve been playing DOOM on my Switch and it is a fucking great game 26 years later.

 

[m_dorian]

For me it is Sid Meier's Pirates Gold a game that is not on this list because it will probably count as a remake nevertheless is one of these titles that shaped my gaming preferences.

As for the game's that are listed, it's still a very difficult task to choose one.

I ll go for MOO but if I was picking any one of them blindfolded I would still not have made a bad selection.

Maybe 1993 goty is 1993 itself.

 

[Wildebeet]

This was an easy choice this time. Simcity 2000! I notice most people are accidentally choosing the game above it and selecting Doom mistakenly, but that's ok because it's the second best.

Link's Awakening was fun. I got a Gameboy somehow back then specifically for that game, I think it was bundled with it. No way I could afford to buy games for both SNES and GB, so it was the only Gameboy game I ever had. Loved it's little green and grey world.

 

[Ge0force]

Link's Awakening for me. Story, gameplay and game world are almost perfect. It was such a wonderful experience!

 

[Le Pertti]

Fuck this one is hard! At first I was like DOOM is such a clear winner for me since that game was such a huge deal for me when it came out, hell for years! Not only did it blow me away but that game also made me a PC gamer. First time I saw it was at some guy I knew, he was in a crazy religious family that didn't allow TVs or radios or anything like that, but he somehow got around being allowed a PC, only if it didn't have sound haha. So we played DOOM at his place but only with internal speakers. Such a funny scenario, to play that game in a home like that. But not long after did I get my own computer and DOOM was so what was most played. Hell it even was the first game ever that I played non local multiplayer over the phone!

BUT! Secret of Mana, goddam that is a magical game, one of the best co-op experiences I've ever had! Still remember and laugh how excited me and my friend were for it, we used to go home to my place during lunch break from school just to see if it had arrived in the mail.

I seriously don't know what to choose.

 

[fearthedawn]

those choices are making my brain melt...

I prefer Tie-Fighter over X-Wing, Master of Orion 2 over Master of Orion, LttP over LA so i'll take those out and it leaves me with Doom, SimCity 2000 and Syndicate, 3 games i loved and played to death and i just throw my hands up and give up for now and see if i know what to pick after a good nights sleep

 

[Milena]

Ok, I think I narrowed it down to 2! SimCity 2000 or Day of the Tentacle.

SimCity 2000 was my first simulation game and I don't know how many hours I spent. Being around 6-7 when I first played it, I admittedly didn't understand much, but I still absolutely loved it. It's a miracle any city actually survived.

Day of the Tentacle is one of my favorite point & click adventures. The art style, the voices, the different timelines, the humor... Pretty much everything clicked for me. I did play this when I was older, though. Around 10-11, maybe?

 

[TubaZef]

I saw DOOM, I don't need to see the rest of the list.

 

[kio]

Using only my personal enjoyment, and subsequently the number of hours played, my pick has to be SimCity2000. The amount of simulated systems and the way they connect into each other, the right balance between silly and serious and the sheer scope of the sandbox... it blew my tiny mind at the time.

Btw, Bonfires Down thank you for doing this.

 

[Dandy]

This one is tough... DOTT is amazing, but I was also obsessed with Serpent Isle. Need to think about it some more.

 

[Alextended]

 

[Bonfires Down]

This was an easy choice this time. Simcity 2000! I notice most people are accidentally choosing the game above it and selecting Doom mistakenly, but that's ok because it's the second best.

Accidents happen so easily. I'll just make some edits to the poll and we'll sort it out...

But yeah, it's SimCity for me too. Yes, DOOM and Link's Awakening and Shadowrun were amazing, but they don't quite speak to me like an excellent creative management game does.

Btw, Bonfires Down thank you for doing this.

Wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it

According to what I found Daytona was only released in Japan in 1993. But I'll upgrade it from honorable mention to poll option in 1994 if you want.

1. Doom - Episode 1 is game design perfection. I replay it several times a year.

2, Betrayal at Krondor - Rich narrative that exists in perfect harmony with the open world design

3. Dark Sun: Shattered Lands - Combines the best elements of Baldurs Gate and Fallout years ahead of both

4, Master of Orion - Greatest 4X space strategy ever made

5. Sam and Max Hit the Road - One of my favorite adventure games of all time

Those are some real sexy covers too.

 

[KainXVIII]

Nuff said

Also my personal childhood favorite - Ween: The Prophecy from Coktel Vision,

 

[Stevey]

At the time, it would have been The Settlers, or Syndicate on the Amiga.

But it's got to be DOOM

 

[z1ggy]

DOOM, its not even close. Its one of those games that changes everything when it hits.

 

[Alextended]

Nuff said

That game has the best graphics in an adventure ever. And the substance to go with it.

But why does Gabriel look like Conan lol.

 

[Dandy]

Ended up going with Serpent Isle. As much as I loved DOTT, I was obsessed with Ultima, especially 7 and 7.5. I still remember the early days of the internet where I spent tons of time on newsgroups, especially the Ultima Dragons Internet Chapter fangroup, as well as the UDIC MUD. Basically, I was a giant nerd for Ultima starting with 6.

Serpent Isle was such a welcome change to the franchise, as it introduced a new land with an entirely different set of cultures and lore than what we had in every Ultima leading up to it. It's also the last good Ultima game. It also felt much more grey than previous entries, and learning about the Ophidians was really interesting.

 

[ISee]

Another awesome year.

Day of the tentacle is one of the best click and point adventures out there.

I played the syndicate demo over and over again and myst made people by CD ROM drives.

But Doom was a cultural phenomenon. People bought PCs because of it and every schoolyard was talking about id.
Just listen to the glorious SC-55 soundtrack.



IDDQD Doom it is for me.

 

[low-G]

This one's an easy choice despite other GOATs, Doom is my favorite game of all time.

1993 is up there for my vote for best years of all time for gaming. Even your honorable mentions list has some GOATs.

Not too many years that people will talk about the games of in 2493.

Secret of Mana was one of my absolute favorites when it was new, as was Myst, but I have mixed feelings about both now. SoM is so damn clunky, and I used to somehow blame myself for not being able to hit enemies with those attacks that give you no feedback at all on a dice roll miss.

 

[Panda Pedinte]

It may sound strange, but I did not play mostly of the games in that list.

 

[deftonesrcool]

Secret of Mana with NHL 94 at a close second. Both were multiplayer classics between my cousins and I, but Sercret of Mana takes the edge for the storytelling. NHL has been bettered by later entries in the series... not sure if I could say the same for Mana, although I prefer other JRPGs on the SNES overall.

 

[Kvik]

Tough choices again. Between SC2K, Sam & Max, DoTT and Serpent Isle this time. SC2K is a huge timesink, of course. I remember going out to buy a new VGA card so I can play it, it was glorious. On the other hand Lucasarts' adventures are nothing to scoff at, and the keyring in Serpent Isle was basically a revelation (you ever try fishing out for the right key in U7 even after you have a totally separate bag just for keys inside the backpack? shit's unwieldy!)



I'll zero in on Serpent Isle for now, but my mind might change later on.

 

[Li Kao]

Day of the Tentacle or Gabriel Knight. You are asking me to choose between my parents now ?

 

[Aelphaeis Mangarae]

I have to give it to Doom. Not just because it was an incredible game, but because it spawned the modding scene and changed the landscape of gaming forever. (Although major publishers have spent the past decade or so firmly trying to put that cat back in the bag.)

 

[Wibble]

I'm largely basing my vote on what I think still holds up today, so when things like improvements in the genre or sequels have made playing a listed game not as enjoyable I won't give a game a vote. Sorry SimCity 2000, I'd rather play other city builders these days!

So DOOM got the vote. Growing up DOOM mostly meant just the shareware episode and always with any number of cheats. So when it came out on Xbox Live with all the episodes I started it up when I was between jobs somewhere around twelve years ago. I ended up playing through every episode and had a really good time. It held up despite sequels and advancements. There's something just enjoyable about the feel of the game and the variety in level design and secrets hidden all over the place. It also is constantly tense as it rarely lets up.

 

[Ruvon]

Day of the Tentacle or Gabriel Knight. You are asking me to choose between my parents now ?

I picked DOTT. I had to. But I know Ultima Underworld II, Sam&Max, Wing Commander: Privateer and Syndicate will be mad at me now.

 

[KainXVIII]

But why does Gabriel look like Conan lol.

Best haircut
Too bad they changed it in remake (and re-casted Tim Curry too)

 

[Bonfires Down]

Checked out a video of SimCity 2000 and man, those sound effects are pretty painful. ”BZZZZT” ”BRRRRR” Other than that it looks like it could still hold up so I should give it a go again.

Happy to see Secret of Mana doing well too. I was starting to think that this place hated JRPGs after FFIV got no votes or even mentions. Then again, I too believe that FFIV is crap. I did play Secret of Mana with my brothers, but we had to squish in around one keyboard to play and after we got stuck at some boss fight, that was that.

 

[LEANIJA]

Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max, SimCity 2000... what a year. I dont think I really played any of them much back then, I was always behind in the 90s when it came to games. But in hindsight, I played SimCity 2000 by far the most, and I still like it today. I love city builders, but most of them are too complex for me, I prefer very simple ones, and SC2000 (as well as SC3000) hits a sweet spot, and I played this for years and years, endless hours. Naturally one plays adventure games less, but I've played through DOTT and Sam&Max multiple times and loved them each time. Such great amazing classics. Doom was something I played much, much later, but when I did I loved it too! I still wouldn't place it above those three others.
Anyway, SC2000 got my vote here.

 

[Phoenix RISING]

Best haircut
Too bad they changed it in remake (and re-casted Tim Curry too)

I cannot not see it.

 

[Blizniak]

I have to admit I've not played most of these but I played though DOOM for the first time in 2016 when the new one came out and man does this game hold up. It's still amazing to this day so it totally gets my vote.

 

[Phoenix RISING]

Despite all the awesomeness on this list, I'm going to vote for Myst.

It was the highest-selling game of all time, on all platforms up until The Sims eclipsed it.

Point-and-click perfection.

The runner-up, DOOM was outstanding, but when most people read "DOOM" they are actually remembering DOOM 2. In fact, most laymen likely think The Ultimate Doom is the precursor to Final DOOM rather than the first game in the series.

Master of Oiron more or less fathered the 4x genre, and gave birth to the scaled-down RTS.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a personal pick of mine. I spent more time with that game than all of those on this list combined. That game was "retro hard," but I loved every bit of it.

 

[Oldschool PC]

The runner-up, DOOM was outstanding, but when most people read "DOOM" they are actually remembering DOOM 2.

Doom 1 is generally considered to be superior to Doom 2.

 

[Durante]

I ended up voting for Secret of Mana.

Simcity 2000, Ultima 7-2 and Wing Commander: Privateer are all absolutely amazing games, but Secret of Mana is what kickstarted my enduring love for local coop gaming.

 

[ISee]

It was the highest-selling game of all time, on all platforms up until The Sims eclipsed it.

Rumors have it that Myst was included with every Kelloggs cereal box at one point in time though You sometimes even bought another game to just find Myst being part of the deal. It once came burned on an AOL CD and that shit was everywhere.

/s

I'm obviously exaggerating and joking here and don't want to criticize your pick! Not at all.
I just think, part of the reason Myst was such a sale success were the CD-ROM bundles. It was a fitting and good bundle at the time though.

 

[deftonesrcool]

Despite all the awesomeness on this list, I'm going to vote for Myst.

It was the highest-selling game of all time, on all platforms up until The Sims eclipsed it.

Imagine playing Myst in a world where Fortnite and Minecraft exist.

Get off my lawn, grandpa.

 

[ISee]

Imagine playing Myst in a world where Fortnite and Minecraft exist.

Get off my lawn, grandpa.

Me solving "puzzles" in Lone Echo. The future is now kid.

 

[Crayon]

My first ridiculous marathon was privateer. That was my goty then. Doom and sc2k close behind tho.

 

[Futaleufu]

Doom is the most influential game of all time.

Three breakthroughs:

-A believable FPS world
-Network/modem multiplayer
-Modding

You'll never see another game like this ever again.

 

[Phoenix RISING]

Doom 1 is generally considered to be superior to Doom 2.

Imagine playing Myst in a world where Fortnite and Minecraft exist.

Get off my lawn, grandpa.

Wasn't saying that you'd play Myst now. There are much better adventure and walking sim games now.

Such as Lone Echo, which ISee mentions.

 

[ISee]

My first ridiculous marathon was privateer. That was my goty then. Doom and sc2k close behind tho.

I must say, despite voting for Doom. Privateer is an excellent pick as well. Origin Systems was one of those companies that made games that could be bought blindly, for a long time (but you also had to upgrade your PC, every time). It's a classic too and by sheer accident, one of the few games that I didn't loose:

 

[Futaleufu]

Doom 1 is generally considered to be superior to Doom 2.

By people who dont play FPSs.

 

[Oldschool PC]

Ultimate Doom has more complex and timeless level design. Doom 2 levels are either gimmicky or simplistic, which make it a chore to replay.