I was originally going to make this 'platform' franchise, but I've broadened it to include any franchise (at least three games) of any console in the 90s;

I voted Nintendo (Mario).

I voted Nintendo (Mario).


The little plumber from Italy/Brooklyn/Pipe-world/the Mushroom kingdom (his creators can't quite decide where!) refuses to die.

Monkey Island games from LucasArts.

Where the hell is EA Sports MADDEN Football!?!? That crushes all those games combined!

Mario, Mortal Kombat, and Street Fighter.

3 for Mario, 0 for Sonic  ;D

Hey if it wasn't for my Madden driven "other" vote, I would voted for Sonic. Much more exciting than that boring, slow, puttering plumber.

Mortal Kombat and Sonic were probably "The" Video Game Franchises of the '90s

I consider the Mario Franchise a little more '80s than '90s

Mortal Kombat and Sonic were probably "The" Video Game Franchises of the '90s

I consider the Mario Franchise a little more '80s than '90s


Totally agree 100%

I like Mario, but it's more '80s of anything.

Sonic really defines the '90s more than any other.

I like Mario, but it's more '80s of anything.

Sonic really defines the '90s more than any other.


The SMB series - the 'Golden Age' if you like, occured in the 80s, but Mario's popularity actually reached its peak in the early 90s with SMB World, and continued well into the 90s with SM 64, and into the millenium with the Game cube franchises.

The SMB series - the 'Golden Age' if you like, occured in the 90s, but Mario's popularity actually reached its peak in the early 90s with SMB World, and continued well into the 90s with SM 64, and into the millenium with the Game cube franchises.


I'd say 1990-1991 was the peak of Mario. But I consider that the '80s anyway.

I'd say 1990-1991 was the peak of Mario. But I consider that the '80s anyway.


Mario was HUGE back in the mid-90s when I was at school. Everyone played the Mario games.

Mario was HUGE back in the mid-90s when I was at school. Everyone played the Mario games.


Well I remember even around 1996-1997 my neighbors liked Super Mario 3. Back then playing older consoles wasn't taboo.

Well I remember even around 1996-1997 my neighbors liked Super Mario 3. Back then playing older consoles wasn't taboo.


Now we have emulators, so you'd have to be a real retro geek to actually play your old SNES, NES...There are actually ways to hook up your SNES/NES Controller to your computer/replicas, which I thought was pretty cool.

But retro gaming is actually quite an economic way of gaming. You can get an old gameboy for like $20, and a SNES for about $50. Better snap em up before they become 'antiques' and the price goes up.

Now we have emulators, so you'd have to be a real retro geek to actually play your old SNES, NES...There are actually ways to hook up your SNES/NES Controller to your computer/replicas, which I thought was pretty cool.

But retro gaming is actually quite an economic way of gaming. You can get an old gameboy for like $20, and a SNES for about $50. Better snap em up before they become 'antiques' and the price goes up.


Oh yeah.

When would you say 3-D (as opposed to 2 1/2 D) came into effect?

Oh yeah.

When would you say 3-D (as opposed to 2 1/2 D) came into effect?


3D was actually in arcades as early as the late 80s, and 90s with Falcon 3.0, the Racing games...

The PS1 was the first true '3D' console, and that came out either in late 1994 or early 1995. The Sega Saturn followed soon after, and the N64 in late 96, which was the first true 64-bit console. The whole 3D thing happened really fast in 96, so by 97 most games were 3D.

3D was actually in arcades as early as the late 80s, and 90s with Falcon 3.0, the Racing games...

The PS1 was the first true '3D' console, and that came out either in late 1994 or early 1995. The Sega Saturn followed soon after, and the N64 in late 96, which was the first true 64-bit console. The whole 3D thing happened really fast in 96, so by 97 most games were 3D.


But they looked cartoonish compared to say XBOX or PS2.

But they looked cartoonish compared to say XBOX or PS2.


But BACK THEN, when we first saw the psone in the shop we couldn't stop staring at the graphics, admiring how cool they were! You may laugh, but I guess us old-hands can remember a time when ultra-hi tech graphics weren't taken for granted!

But BACK THEN, when we first saw the psone in the shop we couldn't stop staring at the graphics, admiring how cool they were! You may laugh, but I guess us old-hands can remember a time when ultra-hi tech graphics weren't taken for granted!


I remember the PS1 also. It was impressive in its day, for sure (its day being 1995-2000)

I remember the PS1 also. It was impressive in its day, for sure (its day being 1995-2000)


Yes, still remember that time when I stayed over at a friend's place and we played Crash Bandicoot throughout the night on the old PS1, thinking it was the bees knees!

Yes, still remember that time when I stayed over at a friend's place and we played Crash Bandicoot throughout the night on the old PS1, thinking it was the bees knees!


Now that's a tad before my time ... my PS1 days are more 1998-2000. Did you like the Twisted Metal franchise? I think TM3 was the best.

Now that's a tad before my time ... my PS1 days are more 1998-2000. Did you like the Twisted Metal franchise? I think TM3 was the best.


Nah, cos I never actually OWNED a Playstation (it wasn't re-marketed as Psone til about 2001 I think) - in those years I mainly played N64: Super Mario 64, Mario Kart (who didn't play that?), Yoshi's Story, Goldeneye 007 (that was huge back then as well).etc.

But BACK THEN, when we first saw the psone in the shop we couldn't stop staring at the graphics, admiring how cool they were! You may laugh, but I guess us old-hands can remember a time when ultra-hi tech graphics weren't taken for granted!



Yeah, I'll never forget the first time I saw the PS1 in action at a Toys 'R' Us in 1995. To see game in 3D for the first time was an incredible sight.

Yeah, I'll never forget the first time I saw the PS1 in action at a Toys 'R' Us in 1995. To see game in 3D for the first time was an incredible sight.


I still remember the first time I saw a playstation as well. I distinctly remember the sample game was NBA 1996 or something, lol...but it was such the rage back then.

I would say Mortal Kombat.

I think I played more Sonic the Hedgehog more than any of the others (even Super Mario Bros., even though I could totally kick butt at that and Mortal Kombat). Sonic was a lot of fun, though. I loved it when he'd curl up in that ball and just scramble to get the coins.

3D was actually in arcades as early as the late 80s, and 90s with Falcon 3.0, the Racing games...

The PS1 was the first true '3D' console, and that came out either in late 1994 or early 1995. The Sega Saturn followed soon after, and the N64 in late 96, which was the first true 64-bit console. The whole 3D thing happened really fast in 96, so by 97 most games were 3D.


Yeah, I'd pretty much agree with this assessment. The N64 really made the push to 3-D with Mario 64 and everyone else trying to ride the bandwagon, although the Virtua games (especially Virtua Fighter) were around at least two years before the N64. Don't know that it's the very first one, but Battlezone was certainly one of the earliest 3-D games out there (1980).

Yeah, I'd pretty much agree with this assessment. The N64 really made the push to 3-D with Mario 64 and everyone else trying to ride the bandwagon, although the Virtua games (especially Virtua Fighter) were around at least two years before the N64. Don't know that it's the very first one, but Battlezone was certainly one of the earliest 3-D games out there (1980).




I believe Moonlander (?) released in 1978 or 1979 was the first '3D Polygonal' arcade game, but yeah the 3D gaming revolution really happened in the blink of an eye in the latter part of the 90s.

The little plumber from Italy/Brooklyn/Pipe-world/the Mushroom kingdom (his creators can't quite decide where!) refuses to die.


Actually, Mario's real name is "Jumpman". I know this, because I was an avid Donkey Kong player, and on the video arcade game, that's what they call him.

With that outta the way, I prefer Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, and Dune.