Video Game Design Between 1990 – 2008

Remembering the good all days, when me and my friends were playing Doom, Mortal Kombat, Quake or War Craft on a Pentium 133 MHz computer with Sound Blaster and a 4MB video card. A lot has changed since then.

Video games actually are a lot older than that we used to play in the 90s. The first video game was created in 1947 called Tennis for two and it was played on an oscilloscope like device.

With the release of Apple II, Commodore 64 and the ZX Spectrum in late 70s early 80s people could afford to buy such devices and to play video games from their own home. By the mid 80s the video game industry started to evolve at a fast pace releasing games such as Zork, Battlezone and Bard’s Tale.

The 1990s became the golden age of computer video games and gave birth to a large number of game developers and publishers such as Activision, Electronic Arts, Blizzard and id Software

From design and graphics point of view, video games greatly evolved and continue to do so. Writing about 90s computer games in 2008 is somewhat nostalgic and in the same time it’s funny, because what can you expect from a 16 bit graphic display and a 100 MHz machine, but remembering that in those days these configs were king just as 3,6 GHz and Nvidia GeForce 9400 nowdays.

So, let’s look at how the graphics and design evolved starting from 1990.

1990

• Nintendo releases Super Famicom 16 bit console
• Creative Labs introduces Soundblaster Pro

Wing Commander

Source: mobygames​.com

Super Mario World

Source: mobygames​.com

Final Fantasy III

Source: mobygames​.com

Commander Keen

Source: mobygames​.com

1991

• Graphic accelerator cards are born
• id Software is founded
• Tim Berners-Lee introduces the World Wide Web
• Intel sells 486SX processors

Civilization

Source: mobygames​.com

Road Rash

Source: mobygames​.com

The Legend of Zelda

Source: mobygames​.com

Neverwinter Nights

Source: mobygames​.com

1992

• Microsoft releases Windows 3.1

Mortal Kombat

Source: mobygames​.com

Wolfenstein 3D

Source: mobygames​.com

Dune II

Source: mobygames​.com

1993

• Microsoft releases Windows NT and MS-DOS 6
• Intel Pentium 60 MHz processor is released

Sim City 2000

Source: markhell​.wordpress​.com/​2​0​08/02

Doom

Source: mobygames​.com

Virtua Fighter

Source: Wikipedia

Master of Orion

Source: warpcore​.org

1994

• Commodore computers files for bankruptcy
• 3DFX is founded (company known for it’s Voodoo video cards)
• First Sony Playstation is introduced

Heretic

Source: http://​www​.happypenguin​.org/

Warcraft

Source: mobygames​.com

Tekken

Source: mobygames​.com

1995

• The first E3 is held in Las Vegas
• Microsoft Windows 95 is released
• DirectX 1.0 is introduced by Microsoft
• ATX motherboards are born

Warcraft II

Source: immortal​machines​.com

The Need For Speed

Source: mobygames​.com

Command and Conquer

Source: mobygames​.com

1996

• Intel released 200 MHz Pentium
• DirectX 2.0 is released
• Nintendo releases the first true 64 bit game console

Quake

Source: www​.geocities​.com/​a​d​e​l​_​b​b​a​l​l​/​f​u​n​.html

Duke Nukem 3D

Source: mobygames​.com

M.A.X.

Source: mobygames​.com

1997

• Wi-Fi is released
• DirectX 5.0 is released
• Intel introduces MMX chips
• First DVDs are sold
• Intel 233 MHz processor is introduced

Grand Theft Auto

Source: mobygames​.com

Total Annihilation

Source: mobygames​.com

Age of Empires

Source: gamegoldies​.org

Final Fantasy VII

Source: TeamTeaBag

Quake 2

Source: midwesternbias​.blogspot​.com

Diablo

Source: chello​.at/​t​h​e​o​d​o​r​.​l​a​u​ppert

1998

• Intel releases Celeron processors
• AMD 3DNow! is born
• Rockstar Games is founded

Half Life

Source: mobygames​.com

Starcraft with Broodwar expansion

Source: mobygames​.com

Microsoft Flight Simulator 98

Source: mobygames​.com

StarCraft

Source: thezeal​.com

Unreal

Source: mobygames​.com

1999

• Sega Dreamcast is released
• Pentium III 500 MHz is introduced
• nVidia introduces the GPU (Graphics Processor Unit)

EverQuest

Source: flatrock​.org​.nz

Heroes of Might and Magic III

Source: mobygames​.com

2000

• Sony Playstation 2 is released with better graphics capability than a PC

The Sims

Source: thesims​.eagames​.nl/

Counter Strike

Source: ob81​.com

Colin McRae Rally 2

Source: mobygames​.com

Grand Theft Auto 2

Source: ugo​.com

2001

• Microsoft enters the game consoles market with it’s XBox console

Max Payne

Source: mobygames​.com

Grand Theft Auto 3

Source: compactiongames​.about​.com

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Source: softpedia​.com

Halo

Source: mobygames​.com

Empire Earth

Source: gamesurge​.com

2002

Mafia

Source: the​-nextlevel​.com

Diablo II Lord of destruction

Source: freegamesclub​.blogspot​.com

Warcraft 3

Source: ogre3d​.org

Neverwinter Nights

Source: mobygames​.com

Splinter Cell

Source: Wikipedia

Dungeon Siege

Source: gameogre​.com

Battlefield 1942

Source: juegaenred​.com

Baldur’s Gate — Dark Alliance

Source: filefront​.com

2003

• Nokia introduces the first console /​mobile phone hybrid,the N‑Gage series
• Sony Playstation Portable is developed

Call of Duty

Source: Wikipedia

Tony Hawk’s Underground

Source: g4tv​.com

Prince of Persia

Source: mobygames​.com

Max Payne 2

Source: thierrygagnon​.com

Rise of Nations

Source: compactiongames​.about​.com

2004

• Acclaim declared bankruptcy

Doom 3

Source: flickr​.com

World of Warcraft

Source: mobygames​.com

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas

Source: flickr​.com

Far Cry

Source: flickr​.com

Half Life 2

Source: flickr​.com

Halo 2

Source: computergames​.ro

2005

• XBox 360 is released
• Sony Playstation Portable is released

Medal of Honor — European Assault

Source: mobygames​.com

F.E.A.R.

Source: flickr​.com

Age of Empires 3

Source: flickr​.com

Guitar Hero

Source: mobygames​.com

Need for Speed Most Wanted

Source: flickr​.com

2006

The Godfather

Source: mobygames​.com

Gears of War — 2006 (on XBOX), 2007 (On Windows)

Source: mobygames​.com

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Source: Wikipedia

Elder Scrolls IV — Oblivion

Source: IGN

Hitman Blood Money

Source: mobygames​.com

Prey

Source: steamreview​.org

Heroes of Might and Magic V

Source: www​.gameogre​.com

Titan Quest

Source: gaming​.hexus​.net

2007

• Blizzard announces Starcraft II
• 3D Realms released teaser trailer for Duke Nukem Forever

Halo 3

Source: flickr​.com

Super Mario Galaxy

Source: Wikipedia

Crysis

Source: flickr​.com

Call of Duty IV — Modern Warfare

Source: Wikipedia

Unreal Tournament 3

Source: flickr​.com

FIFA 08

Source: computergames​.ro

The Witcher

Source: flickr​.com

Guitar Hero 3

Source: mobygames​.com

2008

• Blizzard announces Diablo III

Grand Theft Auto IV

Source: flickr​.com

Prince of Persia

Source: Diversion Projects

Metal Gear Solid 4

Source: flickr​.com

Shaun White Snowboarding

Source: IGN

Command and Conquer 3 Kane’s Wrath

Source: filefront​.com

Madden NFL 09

Source: easports​.com

Fallout 3

Source: theforumsite​.com

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Source: Wikipedia

2009

• Upcoming releases for the next year

F.E.A.R. 2
Source: IGN

Alan Wake

Source: IGN

Starcraft 2 Terrans: Wings of Liberty

Source: IGN

Diablo 3

Source: IGN

Written exclusively for WDD by Gyorgy Fekete

Which one is your favorite game? Share your favorites with us and let us what you think of this list!