The 90s proved to be a pivotal decade for video games, and one that has defined the industry ever since.  The 90s saw the advent of 3D visuals in gaming, the rise of a new gaming superpower and the decline of another.  As technology increased the advances in gameplay made radical changes that would shape the way we played games in the years to come.  Like the 7 Games of the Past Decade (or these 9 games of the 80s), these games have the staying power to still survive and be fun even by today's standards.

Super Mario World

A launch title, this game wowed players and showcased what the Super Nintendo could do.  Like previous games, players took control of the portly plumber, but never before had he felt so lively.  Introducing new gameplay elements like the deadly twirl move (instantly destroying enemies and breaking otherwise impossible to reach blocks), a new flying technique, and the ability to kick turtles or blocks in the upward direction, Super Mario World gave players entirely new ways to beat levels.  Add to this a bevy of new power-ups, it introduced one of the series' most iconic characters: Yoshi. 

With Yoshi's help, Mario traversed the Mushroom Kingdom, eschewing the traditional world map.  Instead the game utilized a giant over-world map through which players could see all of the games different stages.  What sets this game apart is the many secrets it contained.  Featuring 96 different level exits, this game could keep players coming back long after Bowser had been beaten.  It is still one of the best selling Mario games of all time, creating many of the features still present in current installments.

Super Mario Kart

The chunky plumber once again makes this list on a 16-bit console, this time for creating a new genre of racing games.  You won't find any tricked-out automobiles in this title.  Instead players were introduced to their favorite Nintendo characters going head-to-head in tiny go-kart styled vehicles.  What really set this racer apart were the power-ups.  Each character featured special power-ups they could use on other racers, slowing them down in order to gain an advantage.

Mario Kart was praised heavily at the time for its brilliant use of the incredible Mode 7 graphics engine.  In the 16-bit realm, players were treated to a smooth scrolling 3D experience as they followed their racers around the courses.  With its simple yet innovative design, Mario Kart is highly regarded as one of the most essential video games in history.  It continues to find success in its new iterations, sticking to the adage "Don't fix what isn't broken."

Zelda: A Link to the Past

This game perfected the dungeon-adventure-RPG formula.  Taking lessons learned from its previous iterations and adding in new features and abilities to keep things fresh.  This entry into the series saw the birth of many features now commonplace in the franchise.  The introduction of a "Dark World", Link could travel to at any point added new depth to puzzle solving along with the design of multi-level dungeons.

New items like the Master Sword, Heart Pieces, the Hook Shot, Pegasus Boots, and the ever popular Spin Attack technique all came from this game.  The staples of the franchise today can find their roots in a Link to the Past, which not only created them, but implemented them in unique ways that are still copied and used in the latest Zelda games.

Street Fighter II

Can you believe that SF II is still Capcom's best selling consumer game?  What started as a sequel to a marginally adequate game, Street Fighter II is credited with starting the fighting game boom of the 90s, with many companies rushing to follow suit.  Unlike its predecessor this game allowed players to choose from different characters, all with unique fighting styles and differences.

Perhaps more revolutionary is its distinction of being the first fighting game to implement a combo system that allowed you to string together attacks fluidly. This addition alone was enough to turn the genre on its ear as gamers found themselves challenged to pull off the biggest combos.  It's amazing that even with the recent release of the robust SFIV game on console, Street Fighter II still holds up so well that I still don't mind going back to play it.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

The first Castlevania game to come out on the Playstation, Symphony of Night took a much needed departure away from the series' straight level-by-level platforming.  Instead it featured a more open-ended design, encouraging exploration which is now such a standard in the franchise.  On top of these new features, players were also treated to a heavy dose of RPG elements. 

It also attempted to tie together all of the previous games' (13 of them!) story lines into one cohesive timeline, instead of a cobbled together mass of individual stories.  It's still a popular game, downloaded frequently from PSN, and it's core system/design is borrowed heavily by the new portable entries to the series.  The new elements it introduced to the franchise made it the first Castlevania with replayability, even today.

Final Fantasy VII

Still regarded as one of the best - if not the best - Final Fantasy to ever grace a console, this game brought the franchise into the 3D realm, utilizing fully rendered characters on top of pre-rendered backgrounds.  What set this game apart was its skill system built around Materia.  Any character could use these magical orbs which could be used in slots on weapons and armor; a feature allowing players to customize their team in a multitude of ways.  On top of Materia's unique attributes, they could be used together in a fixed amount of ways, allowing players to enhance the effects or create entirely new abilities.

The story was considerably epic in scale, containing what is arguably the most shocking scene in video games: the murder of Aeris.  Gamers watched helplessly as their character's main squeeze was stabbed through the heart, giving it the unique distinction of being one of the only titles gamers will admit to crying over.  FFVII broke the mold in video games for story-telling and gameplay, setting a new standard for all RPGs to try and follow.

Pokemon Red/Blue

A veritable phenomena when it was first released, this game had both youngsters and older gamers alike clamoring to "catch 'em all".  At its core, Pokemon is a simple RPG that encourages players to experiment and try new teams in order to defeat local trainers as well as Gym Leaders.  Beneath the top-down view and simplistic storyline lies a surprisingly deep combat system both fun and dangerously addictive.  Gamers felt almost compelled to capture all 151 Pokemon, as if the universe would somehow end if they didn't.

In order to actually capture all of the Pokemon, fans of the game would have to link their Gameboys together and trade between both Red and Blue versions.  This was Nintendo's first big foray into the "friend" system they've built their most recent systems around, as the game forced you to trade your Pokemon in order to evolve certain species, or just obtain a critter not in your version.  The thrill of the hunt drove this game forward and it's a testament to its design that 14 sequels (16, come March) have been released without changing the core formula.

Metal Gear Solid

Bringing the popular Metal Gear franchise into the 3D realm, this PS1 game pushed the console to its limits.  Fans and newcomers alike marveled at the atttention to detail (many people didn't realize until it was too late that their footprints actually left tracks in the snow.)  Knocking on walls, hiding bodies and seeing how far you could get under a box without being spotted became strange past-times for many gamers.  It took full advantage of the new Dualshock controller, vibrating when enemies were close or even giving you a "back rub" if you successfully withstood interrogation.  

The game's continual use of breaking the "fourth wall" created a fun change of pace, as players had to hastily check the backs of their game cases for Codex numbers, or switch out the controller ports in order to defeat a boss.  Even during Codec conversations, your allies would chastise you for not saving often enough, or tell you that you might need to take a rest.  It was a great game with an engaging story filled with some of the most memorable characters in video game history.

Counter-Strike

A true testament to what the gaming community can accomplish, this tactical FPS originated as a Half-Life mod and grew into its own franchise.  This game put the focus on teamwork, making it one of the first games where voice chat was an absolute must.  Knowing where your friends were was pivotal, as enemies could attack from anywhere.  Unlike other FPS games, once you died, you were forced to merely watch the game until the next round, unable to even message your comrades. 

It featured a unique money system in which players could buy different items and guns as the round progressed (giving players "dead time" and neutral zones to purchase them).  You made money by garnering kills.  Running and gunning in this game would hurt you and your team more than help them.  Dying early took you out of the game and left you with virtually no money to buy better weapons with for the next round.  This remains a very popular game, with professional leagues and tournaments still in existence. 

Starcraft

Selling over 11 million copies around the world, this beautifully crafted RTS experience is one of the highest selling PC games in history.  Starcraft redefined the RTS genre, as it moved away from the standard battle-to-battle missions, and instead weaved a complex and compelling story into the gameplay, giving players a strong reason to continue.  It introduced three distinct races all requiring vastly different strategies to master, and weakness to look out for.  Playing each race made the gamer play differently in order to succeed in a campaign.  

Starcraft also implemented a unique AI for the enemies, utilizing a varying difficulty level based on how long gamers played and how well they did.  The better the player did, the harder the AI became.  Players were also treated to a dramatically increased warrior count, larger than what was available from previous games.  Up to 200 warriors (yes, some were drones) for all races and combatants involved could be created and thrown together in satisfyingly epic battles with surprisingly little lag.  It captured the essence of a massive war while keeping the players focused on the mission at hand.  "Holy Crap!" became a common phrase to RTS gamers who witnessed nearly 400 or more fighters clash together on the computer screen for the first time. This game is still a staple in gaming tournaments worldwide, demonstrating how finely tuned and well balanced gameplay can far outlast graphics.

With so many great games in that decade, this by no means is a definitive list.  Feel free to share your own list from the 90s, and remember looks aren't everything! 

-Jordan

[Edited By Moderator]