Gaming truly has something for everyone, thanks to its large variety of genres. If you want to embark on your own epic journey, you have plenty of action-adventure titles to choose from. If you want to feel scared, you can always play a survival horror game. Of course, fighters are perfect for anybody who’s highly competitive and eager to get better at them. Many other examples reflect the adaptable nature of this wonderful medium.
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Action-loving FPS fans have a lot to sink their teeth into, starting with these top masterpieces of all time that every genre fan should play.
However, sometimes it’s also important to look back and question how exactly these genres were brought to life and which influential and groundbreaking video games shaped each one of them. The following titles are perfect examples of this phenomenon, but it’s important to note that they were not necessarily the first games in their respective genres; they just were the ones that defined them and, by extension, changed the industry forever.
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Super Mario Bros.
Defined The 2D Platformer
Platforming is one of the oldest video game genres out there, as these games have basically existed since the medium’s inception. While titles like Donkey Kong or Mario Bros. thrived in the arcades, nobody can deny that Super Mario Bros. changed everything when it was released on Famicom/NES during the early 80s. In a way, it feels like this highly influential game not only defined the platforming genre, but gaming as a whole.
Super Mario Bros. felt revolutionary at the time because it told a story (albeit a simple one) and had a clear beginning and end, instead of focusing solely on high scores. This formula, alongside its highly entertaining platforming gameplay, the way its power-ups work, and its flawless difficulty curve, paved the way for every 2D platformer that came out after it. If it wasn’t for Super Mario Bros., classics like Kirby, Donkey Kong Country, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man, and countless others wouldn’t even exist today.
Super Mario 64
Defined The 3D Platformer
Let’s jump ahead a bit and take a look at one of the few games in the Mario franchise that was equally as influential as the original Super Mario Bros.: Super Mario 64. Curiously enough, it’s often said that Nintendo arrived too late for the “3D console wars” (since the Nintendo 64 came out almost two years after the PS1), yet its iconic launch title shaped every subsequent 3D platformer.
The key to Super Mario 64’s success was definitely its analog stick implementation, which defined its 3D movement, as the entire game was designed around this innovative control scheme. It felt intuitive and satisfying, allowing players to make Mario perform all sorts of acrobatic tricks and techniques to find and acquire Power Stars. Additionally, its “Collect-A-Thon” formula and huge semi-open levels helped define the genre as well, as this timeless masterpiece served as direct inspiration for all sorts of 3D platformers, including Banjo-Kazooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Donkey Kong 64, Spyro the Dragon, Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, A Hat in Time, and many more.
Street Fighter 2: The World Warrior
Defined The Fighting Game
Fighting games are extremely popular today, mainly due to their massive competitive scene where skilled players from all over the world clash against each other to test their skills and reflexes. Needless to say, the Street Fighter franchise has been rightfully placed at the forefront of this worldwide phenomenon, and none of this would have been possible without Street Fighter 2: The World Warrior.
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Curiously enough, while the original Street Fighter from 1987 was a fine game, it failed to make an impact, whereas its 1991 sequel became the blueprint for every fighting game going forward. Of course, Street Fighter 2’s popularity skyrocketed thanks (in part) to its cast of unique characters and its colorful graphics, but the groundbreaking combo system and six-button configuration made its gameplay feel accessible and exciting. Not only did Street Fighter 2 kickstart a legendary franchise of its own, but it also inspired the creation of its own competitors in the fighting game genre, including Fatal Fury, Mortal Kombat, and Tekken.
Doom
Defined The First-Person Shooter
Most people seem to agree that Wolfenstein 3D was one of the very first first-person shooters ever made, and it certainly was important and influential, yet its cultural impact was nowhere near as massive as Doom’s. That’s why the latter is why it’s synonymous with the FPS genre to this day (it also doesn’t really matter, seeing as both games were developed by id Software).
Doom was made during the dawn of 3D graphics in the gaming industry, so its camera and its controls felt groundbreaking at the time. Weirdly enough, its gameplay (albeit simple) has aged surprisingly well. On top of that, its hellish aesthetic and over-the-top violence are a perfect reflection of the “radical” attitude that characterized the 90s. To no one’s surprise, Doom was absolutely everywhere during its heyday, and it inspired multiple FPSs, both old-school and modern ones, like Half-Life, Duke Nukem 3D, Heretic, Outlaws, Quake, and Ultrakill.
Resident Evil
Defined The Survival Horror Game
Resident Evil
- Released
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March 22, 1996
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
The history of the survival horror genre is fascinating, because it existed as a sort of subgenre for many years (as seen in classic NES titles with horror elements like Sweet Home or Castlevania), but it wouldn’t become its own thing until the 90 with the creation of 3D graphics. While Alone in the Dark is usually considered the grandfather of modern survival horror, the genre wouldn’t be what it is today if it weren’t for Capcom’s original Resident Evil title.
The fixed camera angles, the claustrophobic atmosphere, the limited resources, and even the over-the-top bosses and set pieces; every single element of Resident Evil was absolutely brilliant, and various other survival horror games (like Silent Hill, Eternal Darkness, or Siren) blatantly borrowed many of them. Not only did this game birth an entire franchise that is still extremely popular and successful today, but it also led to a “survival horror renaissance” that was especially prominent during the late 90s and early 2000s.
Final Fantasy 7
Defined The 3D Turn-Based RPG
Truth be told, almost every old-school Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest entry belongs on this list, as these two franchises have redefined turn-based RPGs on more than one occasion. However, there’s no denying that the entire genre owes its current popularity to Final Fantasy 7, which single-handedly popularized it in the West while also allowing it to make a seamless jump to 3D.
FF7 took everything that made its predecessors special (like the blend of sci-fi and fantasy elements and a cast of lovable characters with tragic backstories) and amped it all up to eleven while simultaneously telling a complex and ambitious story that resonated with millions around the world. On top of that, its turn-based combat was both accessible and intricate, which made many players fall in love with this once-niche genre. Not only did FF7 make the Final Fantasy franchise even more popular than it already was, but it also influenced the development of many other beloved RPGs, like The Legend of Dragoon, Chrono Cross, Persona, Shadow Hearts, and Xenoblade Chronicles.
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Defined The Action-Adventure Game
The Legend of Zelda franchise has defined the action-adventure genre since its very inception, as its first game and A Link to the Past paved the way for many other 2D games with epic storylines and dungeon-based gameplay structure. Nevertheless, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time‘s release was a major turning point for both the franchise and the genre, as it took that revolutionary formula and perfectly adapted it to the world of 3D gaming.
In many ways, Ocarina of Time felt like one of the very first open-world video games ever made, since its semi-open map conveyed a sense of adventure that players had never felt up to that point, and its revolutionary Z-targeting system made the 3D combat feel really intuitive, dynamic, and satisfying. Everybody knows now that Ocarina of Time is one of the most important video games ever made and that many other action-adventure masterpieces (like Kingdom Hearts, Beyond Good & Evil, Okami, Dark Souls, and The Witcher) were directly inspired by it in one way or another.
Devil May Cry
Defined The Hack-And-Slash Game
Sometimes it’s strange to think that the hack-and-slash genre technically came to be during the early 2000s and that it wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Resident Evil 4’s tumultuous development, which accidentally led to the creation of the original Devil May Cry. Yes, games with similar fast-paced combat existed before, but none of them focused on extensive combo chains nor were they oozing with personality like this one (which is why this genre is also known as “character action”).
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Devil May Cry may not have aged all that well today (especially when compared to its many sequels), but it did lay the groundwork for the hack-and-slash genre with its fast-paced combat, brutal difficulty curve, and challenging boss battles. Shortly after its release, various PS2, Xbox, and GameCube titles with similar combat systems began appearing everywhere, with some prominent examples including Kingdom Hearts 2, Ninja Gaiden, and God of War. Devil May Cry’s undeniable influence can still be felt today, thanks to more modern titles like Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, NieR: Automata, Hi-Fi Rush, and Stellar Blade.
Grand Theft Auto 3
Defined The Open-World Sandbox Game
Another genre that became increasingly popular during the 2000s is the open-world sandbox, wherein players can explore massive maps (most of which boast a modern urban setting) and basically do whatever they want, no matter what. Everybody knows that the GTA franchise basically created these types of games, but many forget that Grand Theft Auto 3 single-handedly defined the entire genre in 2001.
GTA 3 may not be as ambitious or entertaining as its two PS2 sequels (Vice City and San Andreas), but it’s important to remember how groundbreaking this game felt at the time. Being able to explore a giant city where you can do anything, even kill and/or steal from any NPCs you encounter, was absolutely mind-blowing and even a tad controversial. Additionally, GTA 3 paved the way for every single beloved open-world sandbox game that came after, including its modern sequels (like GTA 4 and GTA 5) and high-quality entries in other franchises, like Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2, Saints Row and its many sequels, Sleeping Dogs, Watch Dogs, and even Cyberpunk 2077.
Defined The Western Open-World RPG
Nowadays, gamers adore a good open-world RPG that allows them to embark on an adventure across a massive world where they meet wacky NPCs, complete interesting quests, and take down giant monsters. It doesn’t matter how old they are, games like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Fallout 3 and 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Starfield, Dragon’s Dogma, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 currently have massive and very loyal fanbases.
Needless to say, none of this would have been possible if it weren’t for the third entry in the Elder Scrolls series, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind. Similar to GTA 3, this game was absolutely mind-blowing for its time thanks to its massive world, deep lore, intricate fantasy elements, weird but memorable characters, and large amounts of content. Morrowind basically served as the precursor to the open-world RPG genre we all know today. Morrowind may not have aged as gracefully as other titles in this genre, but any hardcore fan of open-world RPGs should definitely try it out at one point in their lives.
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