Photo: Rockstar / Nintendo / EA / Bethesda / Sony / MobyGames / Aluna1 (Shutterstock)
When people talk about the “best” game year, they usually point out the usual suspects: 2007 (Assassin’s Creed! Mass Effect! Halo 3!), 2013 (The Last of Us! GTA V!), 2017 (Horizon Zero Dawn That other game from an open world!). Suppose one of the best years in gaming happened exactly 20 years ago: 2002. Come with us for a walk down the memory lane, where each step results in another “God damn, this game was amazing!”
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PlayStation 2)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PlayStation 2)
Screenshot: Rockstar / MobyGames Read also : 10 of the most difficult video games in history.
GTA III was a game that basically created the blueprint for the modern open world. It’s no wonder that its sequel, Vice City, is also a great adventure in the open world. But Vice City is also expanding GTA III by adding more vehicles, weapons, and side content to the sandbox. However, Rockstar’s decision to set up Vice City in Miami in the 1980s makes it a truly unique game. Music! Colors! Cocaine! Even 20 years later, few, if any, games copied the style and look of the Rockstar open-world classic. – Zack
Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube)
Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube)
Screenshot: Nintendo / MobyGames See the article : Aspyr has fixed a landmark Star Wars KOTOR II bug on Switch.
While it’s notoriously divisive, I still stand by Super Mario Sunshine as one of the best Mario games out there. F.L.U.D.D. the device re-imagined Mario’s platforming abilities without deviating too much from what had worked in previous games. The tropical island of Delfino was a great place. Plus, it was the whole “focus on cleaning up the environment” that we could all use more these days. – Ari
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC, Xbox)
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC, Xbox)
It may not be the prettiest game ever made, but Morrowind Bethesdy was still an amazing experience that somehow got ported and launched on the original Xbox. This is the first time I played this classic open-world RPG, and I still have fond memories of hours of exploring the caves and cities of Morrowind. See the article : July’s PlayStation Plus Essential game has been revealed. Also, I will never forget the strange, scary worm-like creatures that populated the game world. I still have nightmares about these things … – Zack
Metroid Prime (GameCube)
Screenshot: Nintendo / MobyGames
Metroid’s first-person expedition was a revelation. You haven’t seen the side of the world anymore from a scrolling perspective. You were actually in it, solving puzzles and shooting enemies with your laser cannon and backing away (you backed up so much) as if you were actually the bounty hunter Samus Aran. He ruled and spawned two sequels that also ruled. Now wait (patiently) for the fourth … – Ari
Metroid Fusion (Game Boy Advance)
Metroid Fusion (Game Boy Advance)
Yes, Metroid fans ate well in 2002. On GameCube, as already mentioned, Metroid Prime was a real tour de force, a total transformation of the popular series. But on Game Boy Advance, Nintendo stayed true to the formation from Metroid Fusion, which followed the side-scrolling, exploration-focused structure established by previous Metroid games. One thing was for sure: Metroid can break the patterns. It could also fit in it like a glove. (For further proof: see the Fusion sequel, Metroid Dread, released last year for the Nintendo Switch.) – Ari
Battlefield 1942 (PC)
Release date: September 10, 2002
EA’s Dice and Battlefield 1942 wasn’t the first WWII shooter or an online FPS. However, it was one of the first real attempts to create a large-scale wargame that proved to be brilliant. Even when playing offline, as I often did in the old days, I had a great time battling bots in the game in big wars on many memorable maps. To this day, people still play the game in 1942 and its countless modifications. There’s still something special about the chaos in this 20-year-old shooter that you can get into. – Zack
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 (GameCube, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox)
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 (GameCube, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox)
Screenshot: Activision / MobyGames
Tony Hawk’s best game is THPS3. But THPS4 is still a damn good entry in the beloved franchise. Sure, it plays a little too much like 3, and it looks very similar too. As a result, it doesn’t feel as fresh or innovative, but this PS2 classic is still as fun as the previous entries, adding more fantastic levels and tricks. This game also marked the end of the series era. After that, the also great Tony Hawk’s Underground brought the series into the open world and changed its tone to something more like Jackass. For some, THPS4 is therefore the last clean game from the Activision series.
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (Game Boy Advance)
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (Game Boy Advance)
Screenshot: Nintendo / MobyGames
Release Date: November 21, 2002 (in Japan)
In the 1990s, Pokémon Blue and Red entered the scene as an innovative series of RPGs for collecting monsters. They were followed by the Gold and Silver versions which built on everything that made the first versions great and added tons of new creatures and features. But with the release of Generation III games, Ruby and Sapphire, which came out in 2002 in Japan and a year later everywhere, Pokémon cemented its position as a series that went nowhere. Based on the sheer number of spin-offs, sequels, and remakes that followed, yes I think Pokédomination will stay. – Ari
Eternal Darkness (GameCube)
Eternal Darkness (GameCube)
Screenshot: Nintendo / MobyGames
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem was a weird AF, but it completely worked. While it apparently looked and played like period Resident Evil (i.e. spooky mansions and fixed cameras), it contained complex puzzles and psychologically distressing visual quirks, wrapped in a gripping, skipping storyline about ancient artifacts. People loved this game. Eternal darkness was so good that even those of us who usually can’t stand scary games will eat it. Think about it, this might be the last horror I’ve ever played. – Ari
Splinter Cell (Xbox)
Even if Splinter Cell sucked, it would still be worth playing for Michael Ironside’s iconic performance as the game’s main character, Sam Fisher. Luckily for tactical stealth fans, the Splinter Cell doesn’t suck. In fact, it took a niche genre of tactical stealth and helped make it mainstream with streamlined controls, intelligent UI features, and wonderfully detailed levels that were open-ended and allowed for a variety of playstyles. It also looked fantastic and helped launch one of Ubisoft’s best franchises out there. And who said you need a real book to make a Tom Clancy game? Hopefully the remake will be a good one! – Zack
Ratchet & Clank (PlayStation 2)
Ratchet & Clank (PlayStation 2)
Ratchet, a member of the fictional fox-like genre known as lombax, is the timeless mascot of PlayStation action platformers, whose legacy now spans five platforms and over a dozen games. But it all started with the 2002 original. Is the game holding up? Well, it’s a matter of opinion. (Kotaku’s stance on this is that the 2016 remake is better.) But the force of survival is undeniable, with a parade of well-received games, all the way to last year’s gorgeous Rift Apart. – Ari
