The 1990s were a major turning point in gaming history, as consoles came into their own, PCs went from work tools to hobby machines, and games themselves took the leap into 3D, epic storytelling, and multiplayer. Whilst a vast array of games could be deemed influential in their own way, this article explores five titles that really did bring something new that passed on to further generations of games and players over time. Another five covering the latter part of the decade will be coming next week!

The Secret of Monkey Island - 1990

We all love a bit of Guybrush

Monkey Island wasn´t the first adventure game, and wasn´t the first point-and-click, but at the time, it added two very important things to the budding genre: an accessible, enjoyable, comic storyline, and the inability to die. The fantastic combination of entertaining gameplay and clever puzzles passed on into many future titles and changed the way developers looked at gaming: no longer was it about scores. Instead, developers had a story to tell, and concentrated on cerebral (and often lateral!) puzzling, and player assistance instead of confrontation.

Games it influenced: Sam and Max Save the World,  The Longest Journey, anything with a pirate in it!

Wing Commander - 1990

He only needed one joystick; we needed a whole keyboard

Wing Commander did several things unheard of before in a mainstream game. A combination of an epic story, and intuitive combat certainly stood out, but the way it was all presented was the real charm. Your team mates could die, and when they did, they didn´t come back. Performance in a mission directed how the overall plot (and later missions) played out, and decisions made in the heat of the moment really could win or lose the entire conflict. Wing Commander made consequences a part of the gameplay, and gamers having unknowingly grateful ever since.

Games it influenced - Mass Effect, western RPGs, X-wing series.

Street fighter 2 - 1991

All together now: HADOUKEN!

SFII won hearts and minds with two simple things: firstly, a decently implemented, accessible two player versus system, and a deep library of moves. If you ever watch a SFII match between two players, it often appears more like a chess match: every move has a counter, every block can be opened, and strings of combos are easy to learn, yet tough to master. Any fighting game since 1991 owes a huge debt to SFII: some have improved the formula, but the core is still the same.

Games it influenced: Tekken series, Virtua Fighter series, BlazBlue.

Quake - 1996

Once upon a time, this was the scariest thing ever in gaming

Its hard to split this from Doom, but Quake took everything Doom set upto a much higher level. Blending gothic and futuristic design, Quake also had seriously scary (and fast!) monsters, epic castles and dungeons, and real multi-level play. It also hadtrue 3D sprites and environments, a (sometimes buggy) LAN option, and the biggest prize of all: internet multiplayer. Quake introduced competitive online gaming, it created the clan system, and also allowed modding, spawning several games we know today. If you have ever shot someone online, you have Quake to thank somewhere along the line.

Games it influenced: Counter Strike, Team Fortress, Call of Duty, Half-Life

Tomb raider -1996

Yes, you had to climb it, and no, it wasn´t the biggest thing in the game

 As a very early 3D action-adventure platformer, Tomb Raider opened up gaming in ways never really seen before. The epic scope of the levels, the formidable adult iconic lead, and the tying in of historical elements (places such as the Sphinx, or the Incan mythology) really gave Tomb Raider a depth that spawned a host of clones and copycats. The excellent combination of simple combat, puzzle solving and great platforming cemented the series for years to come, even if none of the sequels quite lived up the original.

Games it influenced: God of War series, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Indiana Jones and the Emperors Tomb

Next week, another five, covering the later part of the 90s. Retro gaming FTW!