Games of 1997 - ranked by preference

Release Date: March 20, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Genre: Action

Super Metroid was a game that was dang near perfection...And Symphony of the Night takes the classic Castlevania gameplay and inserts that into the Super Metroid formula to create one of the absolute best games ever created. I recall working at a video rental store (remember those?) and hearing people mock this game because it was 2D and "nobody plays 2D games anymore." They totally missed out. Symphony of the Night is one of those rare games that I like to pull out about once a year to play through from beginning to end...And the best part? Beat the game with certain requirements and you unlock the upside-down version of the castle, basically doubling your gameplay time with new enemies and bosses to discover, as well as the true ending. The ability to play the game as other characters as well with their own gameplay styles just adds to an already awesome overall package. If you haven't played this yet, do yourself a favor and play it. It is absolutely amazing.

Release Date: January 31, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Squaresoft
Developer: Squaresoft
Genre: RPG

Let's face it - when it comes to RPGs in North America, this is the game that was almost exclusively responsible for their success and popularity. Final Fantasy VII is generally seen battling Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the title of greatest game ever made on most online polls. I wouldn't necessarily go quite that far, but Final Fantasy VII is definitely one of the best RPGs ever created. Fifteen years later, I'm still playing this game at least once a year...And it never gets old. That said, there aren't too many stand-alone titles that have as rabid of a fan base as this game does. If you play it, you're likely to see why.

Release Date: December 25, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Whoopee Camp
Genre: Platformer

If a game has a sense of humor, I'm probably going to like it. If it's designed well, controls well, and looks gorgeous...well, that's a bonus. Tomba! is such a good platformer...It has loads of personality, just about every level is a treat to traverse, and the character you control (Tomba, like the title suggests) has pink hair....PINK HAIR!! If that doesn't scream quality platformer, I don't know what does. But seriously, this is a fantastic game. The price for a physical copy is kind of steep but well worth the cash if you've got it...If you don't, you can always pick it up on PSN for cheap and make those evil pigs pay on your Vita or Playstation 3.

Release Date: June 20, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Squaresoft
Developer: Squaresoft
Genre: Strategy - RPG

The first time that I played Final Fantasy Tactics, I hated it. Due to expecting a faster pace, I thought it was slow and boring...A few years later, I gave it another chance, knowing full well what I was getting into, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Think of it as a chess game with boards of various shapes and sizes - the strategy is that deep and rewarding...and can easily result in 100+ hours put into this gem. Final Fantasy Tactics became the best game of its kind when it came out, and 20 years later it still hasn't been knocked off of its throne.

Release Date: December 11, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Genre: RPG

Some folks are bitter because everyone but the Japanese know this simply as Shining Force III...When in Japan, this is known as Shining Force III Scenario 1, and is actually part one of a three game series. Scenarios 2 and 3 never made their way outside of Japan, but quite frankly, in my opinion whether we got the other parts of this game's story is irrelevant. What we did get was a great RPG, regardless of if it was only one third of the full story in Shining Force III to be told.

Release Date: December 11, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Genre: Platformer

Klonoa was a very solid platformer that was unfortunately overlooked by a lot of people...Which is a shame. Klonoa provided a unique platforming experience for fans of platformers, with an ability to pick up enemies and either throw them or use them to perform a double jump to reach normally out-of-reach areas. Door to Phantomile can cost a bit if you search for it online, but if you'd like a graphically updated version, it was released on the Wii a few years ago simply as "Klonoa." And, much like Door to Phantomile, the Wii remake was also overlooked by most consumers. It's a cryin' shame.

Release Date: December 23, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Genre: Racing

I can thank my car-fantatic friends for getting me into Gran Turismo. I've never been big into cars, and I've never been big into realistic racing video games...But dang it, the original Gran Turismo took hours upon hours of my life away. The concept of starting with the least powerful and most basic of cars (after obtaining your driver's license, of course), and through winning races, slowly build your way up to buy more powerful, faster cars and modify them to make them go as fast as possible until you're essentially the king of the racing world turned out to be a great idea for a racing game. Later Gran Turismo games added much, much more to the table, but the first one is still my favorite to this day.

Release Date: August 23, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Rare
Genre: Action

GoldenEye 007 is one of the most beloved N64 games of all-time...And honestly, I'm not much of a first-person shooter fan, but even I enjoy this game. The single player experience is fun alone, but the multi-player is what made this game a classic. I don't exactly hold it on as high of a pedestal as most people, but I still find it to be a highly enjoyable shooter.

Release Date: November 30, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Aki
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

WCW vs. NWO: World Tour was kind of like a wake-up call to most North American, wrestling-fan gamers. Most wrestling games appearing in North America up to this point weren't exactly must-have titles. World Tour changed that just as the wrestling boom was starting to hit in the mid-to-late 90's. Aki's wrestling title pretty much laid the ground work for most 3D wrestling games that followed. Later Aki-developed games improved on just about every aspect of this gem, but even today, the original is still fun to play.

Release Date: April 25, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Squaresoft
Developer: Dream Factory
Genre: Fighting

Tobal 2 is a fantastic fighting game, improving on much of what made the original Tobal so fun...Unfortunately, it never made it over here to the 'States. The brawler/RPG mode is back with several improvements and the ability to unlock an insane number of characters to use in arcade mode by playing it. If you enjoyed the original Tobal, then you'll definitely find it worthwhile to import the sequel.

Release Date: September 11, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: RPG

I'm a big fan of the first two Breath of Fire games on the SNES, so I'm naturally a fan of the third game as well - especially since it's done just as well as the previous two games. It also features a ton of fishing - the fishing mini game is one that can be played in plenty of locations in the game world, and new bait and equipment can be found all over as well. So, I suppose if you like solid RPGs and fishing mini games, then Breath of Fire III is more than likely going to be the game for you.

Release Date: August 7, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Namco
Developer: TOSE
Genre: Shooter - First-Person - Light Gun

I like games that are bizarre and games that have a sense of humor...Point Blank has both in abundance. Point Blank is a very enjoyable light gun shooting game where you basically participate in a series of minigames. If you fail, you lose a life. Lose all of your lives, game over. Pretty standard stuff, until you play the games and see how unique and fun they all are. And when you're done with all of that, you can play the RPG in the game, where you control the characters by firing your gun in the direction that you want them to go, and random battles are fought by you winning various shooting mini games. It's just a fantastic overall package and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone with a sense of humor and an appreciation of the odd.

Release Date: June 20, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sonic Team
Genre: Compilation

Sonic Jam is a compilation of Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, 3, and Sonic & Knuckles. It also contains a neat little feature where you can roam around a 3D world as Sonic, which was supposedly to be the 3D Sonic game planned for the Saturn...And no, Sonic 3D Blast doesn't count. But anyway, as far as compilations go, I think I'd place Sonic Jam in my top five personal favorites, as it's got four great, classic Sonic games in one handy, dandy little package.

Release Date: January 31, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: G-Artists
Genre: Puzzle

Intelligent Qube isn't your average puzzle game...'Cause failure can be quite deadly. In Intelligent Qube, you're basically trying to survive as blocks tumble your way. Fail to find a way to avoid 'em and you get crushed to death. To avoid them, you need to destroy 'em...But alas, it gets tricky as you advance, as some blocks can't be destroyed, and you've gotta use your brainpower to make your way through each level. It's also got a scoring system so you can gloat to your friends how much smarter than them you are...Or vice versa.

Release Date: June 30, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Interplay
Developer: SCi
Genre: Racing

Carmageddon had a bit of controversy to it...Afterall, a racing game where you get rewarded for veering off the track to plow over innocent pedestrians is probably gonna garner some sort of negative attention from someone. The beauty of Carmageddon, though, is that unlike a lot of games that go for controversial tactics, Carmageddon is actually pretty dang good. Leaving the course and exploring each level is fun in itself - there's nothing like driving into a football field and tackling the players with your car. The violence in Carmageddon isn't necessary for the fun - but it has a charming, cheesy B-movie feel to it that adds to the overall experience.

Release Date: September 16, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: Racing

Two of my closest friends are racing freaks...They live and breathe racing, including when it's in video game form. A few years ago, I had a hobby of making video game videos and they loaned this game to me so I could make a gameplay sample for it...Surprisingly, I fell in love with it. I generally like arcade-style racing over the realistic stuff, but Cart World Series is done so well that not only did I keep playing it well after the video was made, I went out and bought my own copy shortly afterward so I could continue to play.

Release Date: October 23, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Scarab
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

All Japan Pro Wrestling featuring Virtua is a arcade-style wrestling game based off of the All-Japan promotion in Japan, where many legendary grapplers called their home at one time or another. From Kenta Kobashi, Toshiaki Kawada, and Stan Hansen to the late Steve Williams, Giant Baba, and Mitsuharu Misawa to even Johnny Ace (John Laurinaitis to viewers of the current WWE product) the top stars of All Japan at the time are in this game. And, like the title hints, Wolf Hawkfield and Jeffrey McWild from the Virtua Fighter series are also on the roster of folks to choose from. But anyway, this is a pretty fun wrestling title with a very arcadey feel, but it still maintains the realistic wrestling you'd see on an AJPW card. Considering I'm a bit of a mark for All Japan footage from this time period, I do kind of squeal like a school girl every time I pull this game out and start giving folks lariats with Stan Hansen or tiger bombs with Mitsuharu Misawa. It's just plain fun.

Release Date: July 24, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Tecmo
Genre: Strategy - Pet Simulation

Monster Rancher and Pokemon sometimes get lumped into the same category - afterall, the goal in both games is to have creatures battle each other. While Pokemon is more of an RPG, focusing mainly on the battles, Monster Rancher is more of a strategy/pet simulation game, focusing on how you take care of your monsters. As a result, Monster Rancher is a much more slower-paced game, so fans of Pokemon may not automatically fall in love with Monster Rancher, and vice-versa. Despite the slower pace, Monster Rancher is still very fun, and the ability to put random CDs into your Playstation (music, games, software...anything on CD) and get monsters from them just adds to some of the fun. What monster will appear when putting your Stuart Little 2 soundtrack in the system?...Only one way to find out.

Release Date: October 31, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog
Genre: Platformer

Crash Bandicoot 2 is an improvement over the first Crash Bandicoot (which was a decent game in its own right), which helped solidify Crash Bandicoot as not only the platforming franchise of choice on the Playstation for its time, but it really helped make Crash Bandicoot a face for the Playstation in a similar but less effective way to Mario and the Nintendo consoles. While it's not my favorite Crash title (Warped! holds that distinction), Crash Bandicoot 2 is still a solid entry in the Playstation library.

Release Date: December 11, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Working Designs
Developer: Alfa System
Genre: Shooter - First-Person - Rail

Elemental Gearbolt is a beautiful rail shooter that can be played either by controller or, if you have one, light gun. Light gun gameplay seems to be a bit smoother and easier to hit quicker targets, but playing via controller isn't horrible, either. The selling point, well at least to me anyway, is that this is a light gun game with some RPG elements introduced into it with special powers to use and a nice little story to watch unfold to boot. This unique shooter is a great addition to any light gun fan's collection, or to the collection of anyone that appreciates unique games, for that matter.

Release Date: February 28, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Aki Corporation
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

While not quite as deep as the N64 WCW wrestling titles that Aki was developing, WCW vs. The World was still a very solid wrestling game for Playstation owners and the only real good WCW game that supporters of Sony's system ever got. The only thing holding this game back is a lack of modes, but fortunately the in-ring action is fun enough where many wrestling fans will still find plenty of fun in just wrestling in exhibitions against the computer or friends. It's one of the best early PSOne wrestling games, and it still holds up pretty well, in terms of gameplay, today.

Release Date: March 14, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Squaresoft
Developer: Light Weight
Genre: Fighting

Bushido Blade is a unique fighter in that all it takes is one good hit, and the fight is over. Basically, you're a samurai wielding deadly weapons and while you may do some non-lethal cuts to your opponent, much of the time, one good slash is all you need to end the fight and your opponent's life. This leads to really fun fights against friends as you frantically try to see who the first person to get a lethal blow will be. I also like the little details of the game, like how your fighter will be patched up in whatever area your previous opponent may have gotten a shot or two in. Did your opponent graze your leg with their sword? It'll be patched up in the next fight. This isn't Street Fighter. It's methodical, strategic, realistic fighting. For that reason, it's very much worth playing. Is it perfect? No. But it's still fun.

Release Date: April 25, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Virgin Interactive
Developer: Digital Frontier
Genre: Shooter - Third Person - Rail

When I started to play a Gamera game, the last genre that I thought it would be was a third-person rail shooter...But that's what this Gamera game is. In Gamera 2000, you control a aircraft vehicle and shoot your way through the levels in very similar fashion to the Panzer Dragoon games. The only difference being that your lock-on attacks result in Gamera (who is always flying by your side) attacking your enemies with its atomic breath rather than you using any extra firepower from your ship. Like Panzer Dragoon, it's a very solid rail shooter, and the Gamera gimmick adds some fun to the overall experience. If you're a fan of the Gamera films or of rail shooters, Gamera 2000 is a decent game to get your hands on.

Release Date: February 28, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: KCET
Genre: Shooter - 1st Person

I played Crypt Killer for the first time for this list, nearly 20 years after its release on the Playstation. For a light gun game, Crypt Killer has a decent amount of variety - several levels to choose from, each with branching points. For an early Platation light gun shooter, that variety ensured that this wasn't simply a "play it once, then never touch it again" game. I'm pretty disappointed that it took me 20 years to play this game because it's quickly become one of my favorite light gun games that I've ever played.

Release Date: 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Future Amusement
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Power Move Pro Wrestling is actually a Westernized version of Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden, a New Japan Pro Wrestling game. Once you know that, you can look at the characters and movesets in Power Move Pro Wrestling and say, oh yeah...that's supposed to be Scott Norton, that's supposed to be Masa Chono, etc. Anyway, a lot of stuff was redone in this game and a few features taken out from the Japanese version making this inferior to the game it was cloned from, but it's still a solid wrestling game...Plus if you choose Malibu Mike Swanson, you get to hear the ring announcer refer to him as, "Power Move Pro Wrestling's all-time deeeeewd" and that, my friends, is worth the price of this game all on its own.

Release Date: August 8, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Fighting

Marvel Super Heroes is basically Street Fighter, but with characters from the Marvel universe. In my opinion, it was the best of the Marvel fighting games until Marvel vs. Capcom 2 came out. It lacked a large roster of characters by today's standards, but for its time, Marvel Super Heroes was definitely a fighting game worth tracking down. Like most 2D fighters in comparison to the Playstation One port, the Saturn version plays and looks a bit smoother and is an overall superior edition of the game.

Release Date: July 17, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Arika
Genre: Fighting

If you go into this game ready to compare it to the 2D Street Fighter games, you'll probably hate it. If you go into it willing to judge it as its own game, it's not so bad. Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha was the series' first foray into the realm of 3D, and the result was a slower-paced Street Fighter game along with some interesting (and some lame) new characters to toss in along with some old favorites like Ryu, Ken, and Chun Li. EX Plus Alpha definitely could have been better, but for what it is, it's really not too shabby.

Release Date: October 31, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Psygnosis
Developer: Psygnosis
Genre: Shooter - 1st Person

I'm generally not a fan of this kind of game - stuck in a cockpit, shooting at stuff...Yet Colony Wars kept me playing far longer than I intended to play. While I don't think that I'll ever really go back and play this game again, it was fun while it lasted...and again, since I'm not really a fan of this genre, that's a big compliment. If you're into these types of games, you'll likely love Colony Wars. If you're not, it still may be worth checking out.

Release Date: July 17, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Genre: Sports - Golf

While golf games were usually fun, Hot Shots Golf added an arcade-like element to the genre along with some personality through its various characters. While later games in the franchise improved upon the formula of the original, Hot Shots Golf is still very enjoyable and well worth a play if you're looking for a timeless sports game on your original Playstation.

Release Date: September 30, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Psygnosis
Developer: Wheelhaus
Genre: Shooter - 1st Person

G-Police isn't what I expected it to be...It's a 1st person shooter with you behind the wheel of a vehicle. I was expecting a gangsta-turned cop...That would be G-Police, right?......Nevermind. Essentially, you fly around and do tasks like shoot stuff down, scan things in search of illegal activities, and try to figure out why Fuji Film invested enough money into this game to get billboards plastered around the city. It's an average game - nothing amazing, but not bad, either. Though my idea of gangsta police would probably make this much more entertaining.

Release Date: June 27, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: KSS
Developer: Dream Japan
Genre: Strategy - Wrestling

Pro Wrestling Sengokuden is on this list with potential to move around or my opinion to change on it as I spend more time with it. I'm not fluent in Japanese, and this is a game very heavy on Japanese text, but as far as I can tell, this is a strategy game where you book matches and then watch the results play out with computer vs. computer bouts. I'm fairly certain that I've explored every mode, and I never found an option to control one of the wrestlers - which may be for the best as the matches I watched looked kind of clunky, but fun to watch nonetheless. I'm a fan of booking matches and watching them play out, so the concept here is very interesting to me. I enjoyed my time playing and watching my booking decisions play out. As I spend more time with this game (and I will) I may find that there's more to it than just booking, but 'til then, this is a decent booking simulator that's pretty fun if you're not intimidated by working through lots of Japanese text to get there.

Release Date: February 28, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Iguana Entertainment
Genre: Shooter - First-Person

For all the poor games that Acclaim shoveled out, every now and then they published a good one. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter is a solid first-person shooter and a decent start to what turned out to be a very solid series exclusive to the N64. It's not the best shooter on the N64 by any means, but it's a decent one and well worth playing if you're a fan of the genre.

Release Date: June 30, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Midway
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Genre: Compilation

If you like old, Atari arcade games then you'll like this compilation of 'em. Asteroids, Battlezone, Centipede, Missile Command, Super Breakout, and Tempest make up the gems found in this compilation. Personally, I could (and have) lose hours on Super Breakout, Centipede, and Tempest alone and the other games aren't slouches either. If you're a younger gamer and curious what young'uns plugged quarters into back when arcades were popular hangout spots, then give this compilation a try.

Release Date: August 1, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Genre: Fighting

I think Last Bronx is an over-looked fighting title on a system full of great and really good fighting games. Last Bronx isn't a bad fighting game by any means; it's solid and fun to play. However, it also doesn't do anything unique or innovative enough to stand-out in a crowd of superior fighting titles. That said, Last Bronx is probably the worst of the 3D fighters that Sega published for the Saturn...But that's also like saying that it's the ugliest contestant in a beauty pageant - even last place is pretty nice.

Release Date: 1997 (NA)
Publisher: GT Interactive
Developer: Lobotomy Software
Genre: Shooter - First-Person

Duke Nukem 3D isn't your normal first-person shooter...Then again, any game which has a comical first-person view of a hand holding a dollar bill whilst in front of a harlot whilst she's doing things that aren't child friendly whilst she's on or around a pole, probably wouldn't be normal, regardless of the genre. I should bump this game up a few spots for letting me say "whilst" so much. The game is also littered with potty humor, which I'll admit, often makes me giggle like a school girl. The Saturn version also contains an exclusive, extra level...So if you enjoy your time here, you'll get a little more to enjoy.

Release Date: November 27, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Gaps
Developer: Rytmix
Genre: Simulation

Burger Burger: Hamburger Simulation has always been a game that interested me. I didn't know what it was simulating. Eating a hamburger? Creating hamburgers? Well, Burger Burger is basically like one of those "tycoon" games where you open up a hamburger restaurant, create the menu and prices, invent new food items to sell, etc. and try to drive in customers while competing fast food chains do the same. I've never been big into these kinds of games, but for what its worth, I enjoyed my time inventing new dishes and watching how the public reacted to them. It's a decent and charming little strategy game.

Release Date: December 1997 (EU)
Publisher: Interplay
Developer: Interplay
Genre: Racing

For those that don't know, Red Asphalt is essentially the sequel to Rock N Roll Racing...but in 3D. In Europe it was actually called "Rock N Roll Racing 2." It's the same kind of gameplay - move from planet to planet while racing and firing weapons the whole time. Unfortunately, the concept of Rock N Roll Racing loses a little something in three dimensions, and while Red Asphalt is still passable, it doesn't come anywhere close to the quality of the game that came before it. If you play Red Asphault expecting Rock N Roll Racing, you'll be disappointed. If you go in with an open mind, you may find a guilty pleasure that gets popped in the Playstation every now and then, like I did.

Release Date: July 11, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: SquareSoft
Developer: SquareSoft
Genre: RPG

I'm in the middle with SaGa Frontier...On one hand, I like some of the stuff found here, like the multiple characters and following each one through the story in their eyes, but the story is kind of bland and not really that good overall, which kind of defeats the fact that you'll be seeing the story through so many perspectives. The battle system is different, but not necessarily bad. The graphics and sound aren't up to par with some other SquareSoft games, but again, they're not horrible. The game itself, while passable, just kind of leaves you wishing that it was better than it is. That's not a good thing to wish for when playing through an RPG that lasts a few dozen hours.

Release Date: December 1997 (EU)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Neurostone
Genre: Action

I remember absolutely hating this game when I first played it...And after playing it again for this list, it's nothing like I remember, which is a good thing. Auto Destruct is basically an action game where you control a car instead of a person, as you shoot up the bad guys. It's mildly fun and passable, but it's not great. I can't help but feel like if Auto Destruct had been created about 5 years later that it would be amazing...instead, it's just barely good.

Release Date: December 1997 (EU)
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
Developer: DMA Design
Genre: Action

The first time I saw anything about Grand Theft Auto was when watching the news with my parents - this game was used as an example of the "continued use of violence in your children's video games." This, of course, was said despite the fact that video games had been getting a larger and larger adult audience around this time. I remember seeing a car do a burnout on a corpse and leave a bloody tire trail...and thinking, "that's neat...but how does it play?" I later found out and was underwhelmed. That's not to say that the oiginal GTA is a bad game, but the awkward controls need some getting used to, and exploring the city in sandbox fashion isn't as fun as later games in the series make it. Grand Theft Auto is a passable start in the franchise's history, but one you can skip unless you absolutely must see how the series got its start.

Release Date: 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Ace International
Developer: Ace International
Genre: Sports - Billiards - Adult

While there's no nudity in the game (that I've seen, anyway) I'll still throw this in the "adult" category since the whole goal is to achieve a high enough of a score to see bikini-clad women. The game itself is actually not that bad. The physics aren't all that accurate, but the game is decent enough where most folks will be able to look past that. Neat little touches like random bonus point opportunities popping up help prevent this game from feeling too repetitive. The game itself isn't too bad, and I wouldn't be surprised if the gameplay keeps some people coming back for more rather than the bikini models.

Release Date: October 31, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: LucasArts
Developer: LucasArts
Genre: Fighting

I remember playing the demo of this game at my friend's house shortly after he got his Playstation. We all thought it was bad. I saved my complete judgment for when I played the full game. Fast forward 15 years later and I finally got around to playing it...And it's not quite as bad as I remember the demo being...But it's still not any good. Basically, you fight as various Star Wars characters and you have an option to switch between using your weapon or fighting in hand-to-hand combat...Which sounds neat, but it just is not done well here. Plus, Darth Vader, the game's final boss, is a bit of a jerk. I didn't think that someone with apparent asthma as bad as him could fight so well.

Release Date: September 30, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Ripcord Games
Developer: Running With Scissors
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Postal gets a lot of bad press for the fact that you're basically just a guy going on a murderous rampage through various areas. That shouldn't be the focus of the bad press - the below-average gameplay should be. Postal is a third-person shooter that uses the tank controls of the Resident Evil games, and expects you to accurately shoot down the enemies in front of you. Once you get used to the controls a bit, the game isn't terrible, but it's still not passable. The interactive environments and various weapon types help take away some of the monotony of the game...And some levels, like the parade level, are pretty dang fun to cause havoc in, but poor controls bog the game down as a whole, which is a shame because this had potential to be halfway decent.

Release Date: April 1997 (EU)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: SCEE London Studio
Genre: Racing

What. A. Dump. A riddle for you: How do you know that a racing game has poor controls? Give up? When the AI has just as much difficulty keeping their cars under control as you do. I could not control these cars well for the life of me...Swerving all over the place. Then I noticed that the computer was swerving all over, too, and I didn't feel so bad. This is just not very fun. If you have the patience to master driving the cars without them getting all wobbly on you, you're not even given a whole lot of content. There are many, many better racing games on the Playstation for you to play instead of this. I highly recommend popping them into your console and forgetting that this game ever existed.

Release Date: September 30, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Interplay
Developer: Danger Productions
Genre: Fighting

I liked the first Clay Fighter. It was flawed, but I appreciated the unique art direction and sense of humor it had...Then Clay Fighter 2 came out, with more humor, but the gameplay wasn't really improved. Then came Clay Fighter 63 1/3...The humor has worn thin and the gameplay seems like it's gone backwards rather than forwards. A tubby, sumo-wrestler Santa Claus and a cameo from Earthworm Jim aren't nearly enough to save this fighting game from being more than a pile of dung.

Release Date: November 30, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Titus Software
Developer: Titus Software
Genre: Racing

Did you ever want to play a racing game with uncomfortably twitchy controls, an AI so dumb that it frequently hits a wall from not remembering to turn, and a timer set so that you could be winning the race when you see the "Game Over" screen? Well, then this Titus turd is for you! Playing Automobili Lamborghini is about as fun as trying to stick your face into a cheese grater in the middle of an earthquake. On the plus side, the environments are nice to look at...So you can torture your friends by having them play while you admire the view.

Release Date: 1997 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Inland Productions
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Why? THQ had published some really good wrestling games for the N64, and WCW vs. The World on the Playstation was good as well...But then they follow that up with this? What a mess. The game looks decent in screenshots, but that's about all I can say that's good. Once the game is in motion it looks clunky and robotic, it controls poorly, and the gameplay is about as dull as dull can be. This is one of the worst wrestling games that I've ever played. I'd highly suggest staying away.