GOTY for every year since your birth.

[ZZoMBiE13]

God this thread makes me feel old.

That's what I was thinking. When I was born, there WERE no video games. Maybe that oscillator thing I've seen on Wikipedia perhaps, but nothing consumer level.

 

[Ed_Fox]

well here goes, starting from age 5 - also these age games that i've played, probably not in the year of release:
1990 - James Pond
1991 - Civilization (honorable mention - Lemmings)
1992 - Flashback or Mortal Kombat
1993 - SimCity
1994 - UFO: Enemy Unknown (also probably my favorite ever game)(honorable mention - Earthworm Jim)
1995 - A great year for games - Worms, Command and Conquer and Star Wars: Dark Forces would go for C&C
1996 - Duke Nukem 3D (honorable mentions - Red Alert and Pokemon Red/Green)
1997 - Wow, another great year - Gran Turismo, GTA, Fallout, Carmageddon - would porbably have to go for Gran Turismo
1998 - Half-life (honorable mentions - Metal Gear Solid and Fallout 2)
1999 - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
2000 - Diablo 2 (honorable mention - Tony Hawk's 2)
2001 - GTA 3
2002 - Time Splitters 2
2003 - Max Payne 2 (honorable mention - Jedi Academy)
2004 - GTA: San Andreas (honorable mentions - Half Life 2, Rome: Total War)
2005 - KOTOR II (honorable mentions - Star Wars Battlefront 2, Civ 4)
2006 - Medieval 2: Total War
2007 - Great Year - Mass Effect, Assassins Creed, COD4, Hellgate: London (seriously, I loved this game) and Skate - would probably choose Assassins Creed
2008 - another good year - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead - would pick Fallout 3
2009 - yet another good year - Skate 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Borderlands, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed II and Uncharted 2 - would pick Uncharted 2
2010 - Red Dead Redemption
2011 - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
2012 - XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Far Cry 3

 

[DanteLives]

1995 - Wipeout
1996 - Destruction Derby 2
1997 - Colony Wars
1998 - Tekken 3 (console) or WWF War Zone
1999 - Formula 1 99
2000 - Tony Hawk's 2 or TimeSplitters or WWF Smackdown
2001 - Tony Hawk's 3
2002 - Red Faction 2
2003 - Tony Hawk's Underground
2004 - Star Wars Battlefront or Destruction Derby Arenas
2005 - Worms 4 or Nintendogs(Labrador version)
2006 - Kingdome Hearts 2
2007 - Pokemon Diamond or Final Fantasy XII (Europe)
2008 - Wipeout HD or GTA IV
2009 - Uncharted 2
2010 - Dragon Quest IX
2011 - Batman Arkham City or inFamous 2 or Pokemon Black
2012 - UFC Undisputed 3
2013 - The Last of Us or GTA V

 

[Hazy992]

I'll give it a go, but I'll have to consult Wikipedia

1992: Sonic The Hedgehog 2
1993: Gunstar Heroes
1994: Sonic The Hedgehog 3
1995: Time Crisis
1996: Super Mario 64
1997: Goldeneye 007
1998: Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
1999: Sonic Adventure
2000: Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2
2001: Pokemon Silver
2002: Super Smash Bros. Melee
2003: Soul Calibur II
2004: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
2005: Super Mario Strikers
2006: New Super Mario Bros.
2007: Super Mario Galaxy
2008: Saints Row 2
2009: Batman: Arkham Asylum
2010: Halo: Reach
2011: Sonic Generations
2012: Borderlands 2
2013: Haven't decided yet. Between GTA V, Saints Row IV and Bioshock Infinite at the moment.

 

[GundamSentinel]

1987 - Metal Gear
1988 - ? (Don't think I've played any game from that year)
1989 - Prince of Persia
1990 - Railroad Tycoon
1991 - Commander Keen
1992 - Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
1993 - Myst
1994 - Earthworm Jim
1995 - Worms
1996 - Super Mario 64
1997 - Grand Theft Auto
1998 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (difficult choice, was such a good gaming year, with MGS and Half-Life)
1999 - Homeworld
2000 - Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force
2001 - Final Fantasy X (another difficult one, with Ico, Max Payne, MGS2, Halo and GTA III)
2002 - Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (close one for GTA Vice City and Neverwinter Nights)
2003 - Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (Prince of Persia: Sands of Time in second place)
2004 - Metal Gear Solid 3 (In retrospect. At the time I preferred Half-Life 2 and GTA San Andreas)
2005 - Shadow of the Colossus
2006 - Final Fantasy XII
2007 - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (boring year for gaming, it seems)
2008 - Metal Gear Solid 4
2009 - Demon's Souls
2010 - Mass Effect 2
2011 - Total War: Shogun 2
2012 - Dragon's Dogma
2013 - Probably Grand Theft Auto V

Apparently 1998, 2001 and 2004 were my best years for games.

 

[Moloch Sacrifice]

God this thread makes me feel old.

That's what I was thinking. When I was born, there WERE no video games. Maybe that oscillator thing I've seen on Wikipedia perhaps, but nothing consumer level.

In fairness, It was never specified as a VIDEO game. I can see it now... "Football wins GOTY 1956!"

 

[Varrdy]

I'm an old fart so this could take a while!

1982: Dig Dug
1983: Granny's Garden
1984: Tetris
1985: Yie Ar Kung-Fu
1986: Out Run
1987: R-Type
1988: Chase H.Q
1989: F15 Strike Eagle II
1990: Railroad Tycoon
1991: The Simpsons: Bart vs The Space Mutants
1992: Flashback
1993: Nomad
1994: UFO: Enemy Unknown
1995: Terminal Velocity
1996: Alien Trilogy
1997: Grand Theft Auto
1998: Colin McRae Rally
1999: Gran Turismo II
2000: Driver 2
2001: Max Payne
2002: Burnout 2: Point of Impact
2003: Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
2004: Burnout 3: Takedown
2005: GUN
2006: Sid Meir's Railroads!
2007: Mass Effect
2008: Fallout 3 (although GTA 4 wasn't far behind!)
2009: Ghostbusters: The Video Game (unbelievably!)
2010: Fallout: New Vegas / Mass Effect 2
2011: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2012: Mass Effect 3 (With the Extended Cut)

As with many, the jury is still out on 2013. Now I think about it, I don't think I own a game released in 2013 but I reckon GTA V might be in the running, regardless!

Bloody hell, that took ages!

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Euhm ...

The Dark Age
1980 - ???
1981 - ???
1982 - ???
1983 - ???
1984 - ???
1985 - Ultima IV

The NES Age
1986 - Super Mario Bros
1987 - Tetris
1988 - Metroid
1989 - Batman
1990 - Ultima VI

The SNES Age
1991 - Super Mario World
1992 - TLoZ: A Link To The Past
1993 - Doom
1994 - Super Metroid
1995 - Yoshi's Island

The PC Age
1996 - Diablo
1997 - Quake II
1998 - Half-Life
1999 - Quake III: Arena
2000 - Deus Ex
2001 - Baldur's Gate 2
2002 - Warcraft III
2003 - Knights Of The Old Republic
2004 - Half-Life 2
2005 - Civilization IV

The Multi Age
2006 - Okami
2007 - BioShock
2008 - Valkyria Chronicles
2009 - Batman Arkham Asylum
2010 - Valkyria Chronicles 2
2011 - Portal 2
2012 - XCOM: Enemy Unknown

 

[JagermanXcell]

Oh boy, research time!

1995- Earthbound
1996- Super Mario RPG
1997- Goldeneye007
1998- Half-Life
1999- Super Smash Bros.
2000- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
2001- Silent Hill 2
2002- Metroid Prime ( honorable mentions- SSBM and the RE Remake)
2003- The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
2004- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
2005- Resident Evil 4/Devil May Cry 3 (can't decided on one, both were very innovative, superiors in their own franchise to date, and incredibly memorable)
2006- Okami (honorable mention- Kingdom Hearts 2)
2007- Persona 3
2008- Persona 4
2009- Uncharted 2 (honorable mention- Demon's Souls)
2010- Red Dead Redemption
2011- Dark Souls (honorable mention- Deus Ex: HR)
2012- Spec Ops: The Line
2013(for now)- The Last of Us (honorable mentions- MGR Revengeance and Saints Row 4)

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

All I know is 2005 goes to Shadow of the Colossus.

 

[Ruzinus]

Oh dear lord what have you done OP, what have you done to me??


1987 - Maniac Mansion
1988 - Phantasy Star
1989 - Curse of the Azure Bonds
1990 - Super Mario Bros 3
1991 - The Simpsons Arcade Game
1992 - Sonic the Hedgehog 2
1993 - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
1994 - Sim City 2000
1995 - Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millenium
1996 - Super Mario 64
1997 - Star Fox 64
1998 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
1999 - Soul Calibur
2000 - Skies of Arcadia
2001 - Super Smash Bros. Melee
2002 - Warcraft III
2003 - Mega Man Battle Network 3
2004 - World of Warcraft
2005 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
2006 - The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
2007 - Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
2008 - BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
2009 - Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
2010 - Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver
2011 - Super Mario 3D Land
2012 - Dishonored
2013 - Saints Row IV (Tentative)

 

[Jynthor]

Oh it's one of those threads where everyone makes lists no one reads or comments on.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Good grief. Okay, let's see what we have here. There will obviously be some personal bias in this list, but I'll try keep it sane. To show how magnanimous and extraordinary I am, I will even properly recognize seminal games from our console brethren. Honorable mentions will be included where photo finishes exist.

1975 - Colossal Cave Adventure
1976 - Breakout
1977 - Zork
1978 - Space Invaders
1979 - Asteroids
1980 - Pac Man
1981 - Donkey Kong
1982 - TIE: Utopia and Joust
1983 - M.U.L.E.
1984 - Tetris - Honorable Mentions: King's Quest, Elite
1985 - TIE: Super Mario Bros. and Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
1986 - The Legend of Zelda - Honorable Mentions: Metroid, Starflight
1987 - Sid Meier's Pirates! - Honorable Mentions: Mega Man, Final Fantasy
1988 - TIE: Super Mario Bros. 2 and Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny
1989 - Sim City - Honorable Mention: Populous
1990 - Wing Commander - Honorable Mention: Railroad Tycoon
1991 - TIE: Street Fighter II and Sid Meier's Civilization
1992 - Ultima VII: The Black Gate - Honorable Mentions: Ultima Underworld, Super Mario Kart
1993 - Doom
1994 - XCOM: UFO Defense - Honorable Mentions: System Shock, Master of Magic
1995 - Warcraft II
1996 - Master of Orion II
1997 - TIE: Final Fantasy VII and Fallout - Honorable Mention: Ultima Online
1998 - Starcraft - Honorable Mention: Thief, Baldur's Gate, Half Life
1999 - Planescape: Torment - Honorable Mentions: Everquest, System Shock 2, Jagged Alliance 2
2000 - Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn - Honorable Mentions: Deus Ex, Diablo II, Thief II
2001 - Silent Hill 2
2002 - TIE: Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
2003 - Beyond Good and Evil
2004 - World of Warcraft - Honorable Mention: Half Life 2
2005 - TIE: Psychonauts and Shadow of the Colossus - Honorable Mention: Civilization IV
2006 - Medieval II: Total War
2007 - TIE: Mass Effect and Bioshock - Honorable Mention: Portal
2008 - TIE: Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead
2009 - Mount and Blade: Warband - Honorable Mentions: Assassin's Creed II and Dragon Age: Origins
2010 - Mass Effect 2 - Honorable Mention: STALKER: Call of Pripyat
2011 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Honorable Mentions: Portal 2, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Bastion, Minecraft, To the Moon, Dark Souls
2012 - The Walking Dead - Honorable Mentions: Borderlands 2, Far Cry 3, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Dishonored
2013 - TIE: Bioshock Infinite and DOTA 2


BEST YEARS: 1987, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2012. 2000 was pretty rich too. There was a definite lull in the mid-late 2000's but quite a surge in recent years. This reflects my personal feeling as well. Gaming feels incredibly rich/high quality right now, with even tossed off also-rans feeling like they could've been GOTY in weaker years.

Some winners were INCREDIBLY hard to pick over other games. Choosing between Planescape and Everquest was AGONIZING, and I sat for about 10 minutes deliberating over 2012 before finally just giving it to the highest impact game that had the most legs (sorry Dark Souls fans, but your niche title does not have the same clout nor near-universal appeal).

Some winners just kind of coasted in by default. Sad admission...I never even PLAYED Colossal Cave Adventure! I just stuck it in there! As one of only three games released that year, I figure I have a 33% chance of being right. Every other game on this list I have either played, or seen played extensively in the case of 1-2 console entries.

Consoles got a bit screwed in later years in terms of representation, and I'm sure I missed at least 1-2 glorious console exclusives, but I am just one man, and not omniscient. Still, I'll stand behind ANY of these winners, and think a good 50-75% of them are no brainers regardless of your platform loyalties.

PS - I'm not very happy with 1995's winner, but it felt like a crap year.

 

[Nonomori]

Oh it's one of those threads where everyone makes lists no one reads or comments on.

I read all of them. It was fun trying to imagine their childhoods. The difference between people who grew up playing Nintendo and oldschool PC gamers is staggering.

By the way, only two lists considered the japanese release date of A Link to the Past.

 

[antigodoflife]

Six hours well spent! :l


1992: Final Fantasy V - (Emulation)

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Mortal Kombat, Super Castlevania IV, Mario Paint [/li] [/ul]


1993: Super Mario All-Stars

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Nothing -- Who would have thought 1993 would produce an artistic and intellectual wasteland, what a shocker. [/li] [/ul]


1994: Final Fantasy VI - (Emulation)

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Donkey Kong Country, Aladdin[/li] [/ul]


1995: Chrono Trigger - (Emulation)

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Unirally (Uniracers), Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[/li] [/ul]


1996: Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Resident Evil, Crash Bandicoot[/li] [/ul]


1997: Lylat Wars (Star Fox 64)

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Super Mario 64, Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire, Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter[/li] [/ul]


1998: Banjo Kazooie

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, F Zero X, Duke Nukem 64, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Pokemon Red/ Blue[/li] [/ul]


1999: Donkey Kong 64

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Jet Force Gemini, Mario Party, Toy Story 2, Age of Empires II, Shenmue[/li] [/ul]


2000: Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Pokemon Gold/Silver, Banjo Tooie, Perfect Dark, Pokemon Stadium, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Turok III: Shadows of Oblivion[/li] [/ul]


2001: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Conker's Bad Fur Day, Luigi's Mansion, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3, Grand Theft Auto III, Final Fantasy IX[/li] [/ul]


2002: Star Fox Adventures, Metroid Prime and Timesplitters 2 - (Holy Trinity of GOTYs)

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Super Mario Sunshine, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Resident Evil Zero, Lost Kingdoms, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[/li] [/ul]


2003: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Tony Hawks Underground, Beyond Good and Evil, SSX 3, The Sims Bustin' Out, Lost Kingdoms 2[/li] [/ul]


2004: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: ObsCure, The Suffering, The Sims 2, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Tony Hawks Underground 2, WWE: Day Of Reckoning[/li] [/ul]


2005: Resident Evil 4 and Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean - (Joint GOTY)

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Fahrenheit, God of War, WWE: Day of Reckoning 2, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.[/li] [/ul]


2006: Bully

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Psychonauts, Prey, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[/li] [/ul]


2007: Final Fantasy XII

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: God of War II, Bioshock, Assassin's Creed[/li] [/ul]


2008: Grand Theft Auto IV and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots ? (Joint GOTY)

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Lost Odyssey, Saints Row 2, Mass Effect[/li] [/ul]


2009: Demon's Souls

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Metroid Prime Trilogy, Uncharted 2, Assassin's Creed 2[/li] [/ul]


2010: Red Dead Redemption - (What a year, damn)

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Yakuza 3, Mass Effect 2, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Heavy Rain, Monster Hunter Tri, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker[/li] [/ul]


2011: Xenoblade Chronicles - (EU and AU Release was in 2011)

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Yakuza 4, Rocksmith, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Skylanders[/li] [/ul]


2012: FarCry 3

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Spec Ops: The Line, Assassin's Creed III, Telltale's: The Walking Dead[/li] [/ul]


2013: Europa Universalis IV - (Thus far)

[ul][li]Honourable Mentions: Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate, FarCry 3: Blood Dragon, Antichamber.[/li] [/ul]

 

[Hero of Lime]

Oh it's one of those threads where everyone makes lists no one reads or comments on.

B-but I'm reading them. D: It's actually kind of fun to guess what systems people grew up with by looking at their lists.

Considering I had exclusively Nintendo systems up until 2005, this will explain the Nintendomination in my list. Also, Remakes won't be counted unless they were drastic remakes.

1992: Sonic 2
1993: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
1994: Super Metroid
1995: Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
1996: Super Mario 64
1997: Star Fox 64
1998: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
1999: Mario Party 2
2000: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
2001: Super Smash Bros. Melee
2002: The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker
2003: Pokemon Ruby an Sapphire
2004: Paper Mario Thousand Year Door
2005: The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
2006: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
2007: Super Mario Galaxy
2008: Super Smash Bros. Brawl
2009: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
2010: Pokemon Black
2011: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
2012: Pokemon Black and White 2
2013: At the moment it's Pikmin 3, but A Link Between Worlds or Pokemon X and Y will probably end up as the GOTY.

That's a little too much Zelda, but I never will deny my fanboyish tendencies.

 

[the_great_cessation]

Some really great picks so far. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Shoggoth2588]

1977: Zork
...

1997 was the best year in gaming as far as I can tell.

Agreed. 1997 and 2009 in my opinion are the two best years for video gaming ever (with 1997 being the best).

I envy you for growing up in a time when Arcades were a thing. There were a couple of small ones around me up until I was about 10 but in all honesty, I miss the pinball more than anything. Pinball and Sega arcade games.

 

[Ruzinus]

Here is a post to show what games are winning so far:

THIS IS NOT MY LIST. THIS IS A TALLYING OF VOTES FOR EACH YEAR, WITH THE WINNERS SHOWN.

"Winner" is defined as the game with the most votes. For ties, both are mentioned. If a year has no game getting at least 2 votes, it is left blank.

1992: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (6 votes)(LttP had 5)
1993: Zelda: Link's Awakening (4 votes) (Star Fox had 3)
1994: Final Fantasy VI (5 votes)
1995: Warcraft II (5 votes) (Chrono Trigger had 3)
1996: Super Mario 64 (7 votes)
1997: TIE: Final Fantasy VII (3 votes, 2 half votes)/ GoldenEye 007 (4 votes)
1998: Zelda: Ocarina of Time (8 votes!) (Pokemon Gen 1 had 7, Half-Life had 5, Starcraft and MGS had 3)
1999: THREE WAY TIE: Pokemon Gen 2/ Super Smash Bros./Sonic Adventure (at all of 3 votes each)
2000: Majora's Mask (5 votes)
2001: Silent Hill 2 (5 votes)
2002: Kingdom Hearts (5 votes) (Warcraft III had 4)
2003: Wind Waker (3 whole votes)
2004: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (4 votes) World of Warcraft and Half-Life 2 and MGS3 had 3 votes each)
2005: Shadow of the Colossus (6.5 votes) (Civ IV had 5)
2006: The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (5 votes, 1 half vote) (Kingdom Hearts 2 had 3, Twilight Princess had 3)
2007: Bioshock (4 votes, 1 half vote) (Super Mario Galaxy had 4, Persona 3 had 4 Mass Effect had 3.5)
2008: Fallout 3 (5 votes, 1 half vote) (Saint's Row 2 had 4, Brawl and Persona 4 had 3 each)
2009: Batman: Arkham Asylum (8 votes!)
2010: Mass Effect 2 (5 votes, 2 half votes) (I think RDR was second with 3)
2011: Skyrim (8 votes!) (Dark Souls had 5, Sonic Generations had 3)
2012: THREE WAY TIE: Rayman Origins (2 votes, 2 half votes)/Dragon's Dogma (3 votes)/ Spec Ops: The Line (3 votes)
2013: Generally Undecided. Bioshock Infinite mentioned most.

I'm not perfect, so if you see any mistakes, please don't rage, just alert me.

I only got back to 1992, but I must go to class so... forgive me.

Notes: A few games got a bit screwed by the difference in US and EU release dates, such as SSBM.

captcha: i know nothing!

....that's not very nice, captcha.