Game of the Year: Can't disagree with the prevailing opinion here: it's SimCity. Launched a whole genre for all intents and purposes and was definitely the title here I spent the most time with. Although to be fair, about half the games here are ones I never played. My fondest memories of SimCity come from the fact that my neighbor and best friend at the time got a Super NES before me and whenever I visited, that's what he'd be playing and want to show me more of. I got hooked on it that way.
Honorable Mentions: That said, I can't let the occasion pass without mentioning the game that welcomed me to the next level: Golden Axe. Golden Axe was my reason for begging my parents for a Sega Genesis. After much pleading, they finally caved and got me one, with Golden Axe, for my eighth birthday in 1990. They became concerned about the violent nature of the games I wanted though and sought to steer me toward computer gaming instead from this point, as computer gaming had a rep for being educational. And seemed to find every excuse possible to ground me from gaming just in general. It worked! I never again played such brutal games.
Also thought I'd mention Baseball Stars. Several firsts arrived in that game. First sports game on the NES to use battery backup, the first on the system to include a create-a-player option, and the only baseball sim I've ever played before that allowed you (secretly; hidden feature) to hire female players. Not that I was ever epically into baseball or anything, but my dad sure was and we used to play catch and visit batting cages and stuff sometimes. Baseball Stars was a game we enjoyed playing together.
Last edited by Jaicee - on 23 September 2023