1998 in video games explained

1998 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as F-Zero X, Marvel vs. Capcom, , Resident Evil 2, Metal Gear Solid, Glover, , Street Fighter Alpha 3, , Fallout 2, Return to Krondor and Tomb Raider III, along with new titles such as Banjo-Kazooie, Half-Life, MediEvil, Radiant Silvergun, Spyro the Dragon, StarCraft and Xenogears.

The year's best-selling video game console was the PlayStation for the third year in a row. The year's most critically acclaimed title was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which remains Metacritic's highest-scoring game of all time. The year's best-selling home video game worldwide was Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/Pikachu for the Game Boy, while the year's highest-grossing arcade game in Japan was Tekken 3.

Events

• Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) hosts its first annual Interactive Achievement Awards. Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo is inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame.
• British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the first annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards.
• January 1 – The ESRB changes the "K-A" (Kids to Adults) rating to "E" (Everyone).
• March 14 – Sega announces the discontinuation of the Sega Saturn in North America to prepare for the launch of its successor, the Dreamcast.^{[1] [2]}
• May:
  • 28 – Bill Williams, designer of Alley Cat, Necromancer, and Mind Walker, dies.
  • 28–30 – The fourth annual E3 is held in Atlanta, Georgia.^[3] Following the show, the inaugural Game Critics Awards was held with winners being titled Best of E3.
• July 3 – Danielle Bunten Berry, designer of M.U.L.E. and Seven Cities of Gold, dies.
• September 6 – Infogrames Entertainment, SA and Canal+ launch the Game One television channel.
• November 28 – Video game retailer FuncoLand opens its 300th location in Nashville, Tennessee.^[4]
• December – Take-Two Interactive forms the Rockstar Games publishing label.
• December 11 - The final Sega Saturn game is released in North America, Magic Knight Rayearth.

Hardware releases

Month	Day	System
April	14	Game Boy Light^[5]
October	21	Game Boy Color^[6]
November	18	Game Boy Color
November	23	Game Boy Color
November	27	Dreamcast^[7]

Top-rated games

Game of the Year awards

The following titles won Game of the Year awards for 1998.

Awards	Game of the Year	Platform(s)	Publisher(s)	Genre
CESA Awards	(Ocarina of Time)	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	^[8]
Japan Media Arts Festival					^[9]
Digitiser					^[10]
Edge					^[11]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)					^[12]
Game Informer					^[13]
GamePro					^[14]
GameSpot					^[15]
Interactive Achievement Awards					^[16]
BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards	GoldenEye 007	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	First-person shooter	^[17]
Video Software Dealers Association					^[18] ^[19]
Hyper	Final Fantasy VII	PlayStation, PC	Sony, Eidos	Role-playing	^[20]
RPGFan
GameSpot	Grim Fandango	PC	LucasArts	Adventure	^[21]
Gamest Awards	Psychic Force 2012	Arcade	Taito	Fighting
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	Metal Gear Solid	PlayStation	Konami	Stealth	^[22]
RPGFan		Sega Saturn	Game Arts	Role-playing	^[23]

Critically acclaimed titles

Metacritic and GameRankings

Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are aggregators of video game journalism reviews.

1998 games and expansions scoring at least 88/100 (MC)^[24] or 87.5% (GR)^{[25] [26]}

Game	Publisher	Release Date	Platform	MC score	GR score
	Nintendo	November 21, 1998	Nintendo 64	99/100	97.54%
Tekken 3	Namco	March 26, 1998	PlayStation	96/100	95.8%
Half-Life	Sierra Entertainment	November 19, 1998	Microsoft Windows	96/100	94.02%
Metal Gear Solid	Konami	September 3, 1998	PlayStation	94/100	93.24%
Grim Fandango	LucasArts	October 30, 1998	Microsoft Windows	94/100	92.97%
Resident Evil 2	Capcom	January 21, 1998	PlayStation	89/100	93.13%
Street Fighter Alpha 3	Capcom	December 23, 1998	PlayStation	93/100^[27]	90.28%^[28]
StarCraft	Blizzard Entertainment	March 31, 1998	Microsoft Windows	88/100	92.85%
Panzer Dragoon Saga	Sega	January 29, 1998	Sega Saturn		92.46%
Banjo-Kazooie	Nintendo	June 29, 1998	Nintendo 64	92/100	92.38%
	Eidos Interactive	December 1, 1998	Microsoft Windows	92/100	89.41%
Baldur's Gate	Interplay Entertainment	December 21, 1998	Microsoft Windows	91/100	91.94%
	Nintendo	December 12, 1998	Game Boy Color		91.21%
International Superstar Soccer 98	Konami	June 4, 1998	Nintendo 64	91/100	89.15%
	Sony Computer Entertainment	October 31, 1998	PlayStation	91/100	89.07%
Xenogears	Square	February 11, 1998	PlayStation	84/100	90.99%
	GT Interactive	November 17, 1998	PlayStation	88/100	90.42%
NFL Blitz	Midway Games	September 12, 1998	PlayStation		90.13%
NFL Blitz	Midway Games	September 9, 1998	Nintendo 64		90.02%
1080° Snowboarding	Nintendo	February 28, 1998	Nintendo 64		89.60%
Battlezone	Activision	March 11, 1998	Microsoft Windows		89.03%
Railroad Tycoon II	Gathering of Developers	November 2, 1998	Microsoft Windows	89/100	83.15%
	Acclaim Entertainment	December 10, 1998	Nintendo 64	86/100	88.96%
FIFA 99	EA Sports	October 31, 1998	Microsoft Windows		88.87%
Caesar III	Sierra Entertainment	September 30, 1998	Microsoft Windows		88.6%
Unreal	GT Interactive	May 22, 1998	Microsoft Windows		88.58%
NBA Live 99	EA Sports	November 10, 1998	PlayStation		88.39%
	Namco	December 3, 1998	PlayStation	88/100	88.16%
NHL 99	EA Sports	September 30, 1998	Microsoft Windows		88.11%
Wario Land II	Nintendo	March 7, 1998	Game Boy Color		88.04%
	Bungie	December 28, 1998	Microsoft Windows	88/100	86.39%
	Electronic Arts	March 25, 1998	PlayStation	88/100	85.63%
	Sierra Entertainment	December 23, 1998	Microsoft Windows	88/100	84.77%
	Monolith Productions	October 15, 1998	Microsoft Windows	88/100	81.6%
FIFA 99	EA Sports	October 31, 1998	PlayStation		87.95%
F-Zero X	Nintendo	July 14, 1998	Nintendo 64	85/100	87.61%
Madden NFL 99	EA Sports	September 23, 1998	Nintendo 64		87.59%

Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame

The following video game releases in 1998 entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.^[29]

Title	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Score (out of 40)
(Ocarina of Time)	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	40
Tekken 3	PlayStation	Namco	Fighting	39
Sonic Adventure	Dreamcast	Sega	Platformer	38
Biohazard 2 (Resident Evil 2)	PlayStation	Capcom	Survival horror	37
Metal Gear Solid	PlayStation	Konami	Stealth	37
Virtua Fighter 3tb	Dreamcast	Sega	Fighting	36
(Panzer Dragon Saga)	Sega Saturn	Sega	Role-playing	35
Neo Atlas	PlayStation	Artdink	Strategy	35
(Rival Schools)	PlayStation	Capcom	Fighting	35
	Game Boy Color	Enix	Role-playing	35
Beatmania	PlayStation	Konami	Rhythm	35
	PlayStation	Namco	Racing	35
Crash Bandicoot 3 (Warped)	PlayStation	Sony	Platformer	35
Street Fighter Zero 3 (Street Fighter Alpha 3)	PlayStation	Capcom	Fighting	35

Financial performance

Best-selling video game consoles

Rank	Manufacturer	Game console	Type	Generation	Sales
					data-sort-type="number"	Japan	data-sort-type="number"	United States	data-sort-type="number"	Worldwide
1	Sony	PlayStation	Home	32-bit	4,660,000^[30]	9,130,000	22,500,000
2	Nintendo	Game Boy / Game Boy Color	Handheld	8-bit	4,730,000^[31]	2,430,000^[32]	12,990,000
3	Nintendo	Nintendo 64	Home	64-bit	1,210,000	^[33]	7,860,000
4	Nintendo	Super NES / Super Famicom	Home	16-bit	50,000	,000	1,430,000
5	Sega	Dreamcast	Home	128-bit	900,000^[34]		900,000
6	Sega	Sega Genesis (Mega Drive)	Home	16-bit		,000	659,000+
7	Sega	Sega Saturn	Home	32-bit	150,000	,000	205,000+
8	Nintendo	NES / Famicom	Home	8-bit	50,000		50,120

Best-selling home video games

The following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games (console games or computer games) of 1998 in Japan, the United States, and Germany.

Rank! rowspan="2"

Title	Platform	Sales
Japan		United States	Germany	Combined
1	Pokémon Red / Green / Blue / Pikachu	Game Boy	3,288,391	4,000,000
2	Resident Evil 2 (Biohazard 2)	PlayStation	2,298,814	1,194,840		+
3		Nintendo 64	920,000	2,500,000		+
4	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	1,495,761	1,431,483	270,000+	+
5	Tekken 3	PlayStation	1,266,000	1,113,749	100,000+	+
6	GoldenEye 007	Nintendo 64	< 17,676^[35]	2,300,000		2,300,000+
7	Metal Gear Solid	PlayStation	765,000	1,064,909
8		Game Boy Color	1,660,000			1,660,000
9	(Crash Bandicoot 3)	PlayStation	649,000	858,726		+
10		PlayStation	395,884	941,686		+

The following titles were the top ten highest-grossing home video games of 1998 in the United States and Europe.

Rank! rowspan="2"

Title	Platform(s)	Sales revenue
United States		Europe^[36]	Combined	Inflation
1		Nintendo 64	$150,000,000	€39,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
2	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	$58,568,520	€66,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
3	Resident Evil 2	PlayStation	$58,597,202	€29,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
4	GoldenEye 007	Nintendo 64	$70,377,973+	€19,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
5	Tekken 3	PlayStation	$48,554,550	€36,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
6	Banjo-Kazooie	Nintendo 64	$51,790,624	€26,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
7	Tomb Raider III	Multi-platform		€68,000,000+ (+)	$74,000,000+	$+
8	Pokémon Red / Blue	Game Boy	$70,000,000+		$70,000,000+	$+
9	Super Mario 64	Nintendo 64	$39,184,953	€21,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
10	FIFA 99	Multi-platform		€50,000,000+ (+)	$56,000,000+	$+

Japan

In Japan, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1998.

Rank	Title	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Sales
1	Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / Blue / Pikachu (Pokémon)	Game Boy	Nintendo	Role-playing	3,288,391
2	Biohazard 2 (Resident Evil 2)	PlayStation	Capcom	Survival horror	2,298,814+	^[37]
3		Game Boy Color	Enix	Role-playing	1,660,000	^[38]
4	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	Sony	Racing simulation	1,495,761
5	Tekken 3	PlayStation	Namco	Fighting	1,266,000
6	Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters	PlayStation		Card battle	1,175,000
7	Parasite Eve	PlayStation	Squaresoft	Horror	1,049,000
8	Tales of Destiny	PlayStation	Namco	Action role-playing	965,280+
9	(Ocarina of Time)	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	920,000
10	Xenogears	PlayStation	Squaresoft	Role-playing	892,015

United States

In the United States, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1998.

Rank	Title	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Sales	Revenue	Inflation
1	Pokémon Red / Blue	Game Boy	Nintendo	Role-playing	4,000,000^[39]	$70,000,000+^[40]	$+
2		Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	2,500,000^[41]	$150,000,000	$
3	GoldenEye 007	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Shooter	2,300,000^[42]	$70,377,973+^[43]	$+
4	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	Sony	Racing simulation	1,431,483	$58,568,520	$
5	Resident Evil 2	PlayStation	Capcom	Survival horror	1,194,840	$58,597,202	$
6	Tekken 3	PlayStation	Namco	Fighting	1,113,749	$48,554,550	$
7	Madden NFL 99	PlayStation	EA Sports	Sports	1,073,777	$44,130,798	$
8	Metal Gear Solid	PlayStation	Konami	Stealth	1,064,909	$51,834,077	$
9	Banjo-Kazooie	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Platformer	1,054,349	$51,790,624	$
10	Super Mario 64	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Platformer	946,411	$39,184,953	$

Europe

In Europe, the following titles were the top ten highest-grossing home video games of 1998.

Rank	Title	Platform(s)	Europe sales revenue		France	Germany
			Sales revenue	Inflation	Rank	Sales
1	Tomb Raider III	Multi-platform	€68,000,000+ (+)	$+
2	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	€66,000,000+ (+)	$+	1^[44]	270,000+^[45]
3	FIFA 99	Multi-platform	€50,000,000+ (+)	$+
4	World Cup 98	Multi-platform	€48,000,000+ (+)	$+		339,000+
5		Nintendo 64	€39,000,000+ (+)	$+
	Tomb Raider II	Multi-platform	€39,000,000+ (+)	$+		358,000+
7		Multi-platform	€37,000,000+ (+)	$+		160,000+
8	Tekken 3	PlayStation	€36,000,000+ (+)	$+		100,000+^[46]
9	Colin McRae Rally	Multi-platform	€30,000,000+ (+)	$+	colspan="2" rowspan="2"
10	Resident Evil 2	PlayStation	€29,000,000+ (+)	$+

Australia

In Australia, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home console games of 1998.^[47]

Rank	Title	Platform	Developer	Publisher	Genre
1	GoldenEye 007	Nintendo 64	Rare	Nintendo	First-person shooter
2	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	Polys Entertainment	Sony	Racing simulation
3	Banjo-Kazooie	Nintendo 64	Rare	Nintendo	Platformer
4	Crash Bandicoot (Platinum)	PlayStation	Naughty Dog	Sony
5	Mario Kart 64	Nintendo 64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Kart racing
6	Super Mario 64	Nintendo 64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Platformer
7		Nintendo 64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Action-adventure
8		PlayStation	Argonaut Software	Fox Interactive	Platformer
9	Yoshi's Story	Nintendo 64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo
10	Tekken 2 (Platinum)	PlayStation	Namco	Sony	Fighting

Highest-grossing arcade games in Japan

In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1998.

Rank	Gamest^[48]		Game Machine^[49]
	Title	Manufacturer	Title	Type	Points
1	Tekken 3	Namco	Tekken 3	Software	4561
2	Street Fighter Zero 3 (Street Fighter Alpha 3)	Capcom	Virtua Striker 2 / Ver. 98	Software	4366
3		Capcom	Print Club 2	Other	3534
4	The King of Fighters '98	SNK	The House of the Dead	Dedicated	3334
5	Virtua Fighter 3 Team Battle (Virtua Fighter 3tb)	Sega	Virtua Fighter 3 Team Battle	Dedicated	2936
6	The King of Fighters '97	SNK	Sega Bass Fishing (Get Bass)	Dedicated	2931
7	Virtua Striker 2	Sega	The Lost World: Jurassic Park	Dedicated	2719
8	Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram	Sega	Strikers 1945 II	Software	2622
9	Street Fighter EX2	Capcom	Final Furlong	Dedicated	2414
10	Virtua Striker 2 Ver. 98	Sega	The King of Fighters '97	Software	2377

Business

• Activision acquires CD Contact Data and Head Games Publishing.
• Eidos Interactive acquires Crystal Dynamics.
• Electronic Arts Inc. acquires Westwood Studios, and with so they also acquire the North American operations of Virgin Interactive.
• JTS Corp. (Atari Corporation) files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
• Hasbro Interactive acquires the Atari brand and property from JTS in May. They also acquire MicroProse in August.
• Square Co. and Electronic Arts form Square Electronic Arts LLC to publish a wealth of Square Co. titles in the U.S.
• Havas, a subsidiary of Vivendi, acquires Cendant Software, which includes Sierra On-Line and Blizzard Entertainment.
• Lego Media established by Lego Group
• New companies: BreakAway, Elixir, Metro3D, Rockstar, Sunrise, Troika, WildTangent, Loki, Retro Studios
• Defunct: DWANGO

Game releases

The list of games released in 1998.

January–March

Month	Day	Title	Platform(s)	Genre(s)	Source(s)
J A N U A R Y	5	Robotron 64	N64	Shoot 'em up	^[50]
	8	No One Can Stop Mr. Domino!	PS1	Puzzle
	12		Arcade	Fighting
	21	Resident Evil 2	PS1	Survival horror	^[51]
	22	Machi	Sega Saturn	Visual novel
	29	Bomberman World	PS1	Action, maze
		Bust a Groove	PS1	Music, fighting
		Panzer Dragoon Saga	Sat	Action-adventure, role-playing
F E B R U A R Y	6	Skullmonkeys	PS1	Platform
	9	James Bond 007	GB	Action-adventure
	11	Xenogears	PS1	Role-playing	^[52]
	24		PS1	Platform
	26	Burning Rangers	Sat	Action, third-person shooter
			PS1	Action-adventure, stealth
		X-Men vs. Street Fighter: EX Edition	PS1	Fighting
	28	1080° Snowboarding	N64	Racing	^[53]
		Battlezone	Win	First-person shooter, real-time strategy
		ReBoot	PS1	Action	^[54]
		Star Wars: Rebellion	Win	Real-time strategy
M A R C H	9	Wario Land II	GB	Platform
	19		Win	Space combat simulation
	20		Arcade	Fighting
	25		PS1, Win	Racing	^[55]
	26	Dungeon Master Nexus	Sat	Role-playing
		Redneck Rampage Rides Again	Win	First-person shooter
		The House of the Dead	Sat	Rail shooter
		The King of Fighters '97	Sat	Fighting
		Tekken 3	PS1	Fighting	^[56]
	29	Parasite Eve	PS1	Action role-playing	^[57]
	31	Blasto	PS1	Third-person shooter
		StarCraft	Win	Real-time strategy	^[58]
			Win	Real-time tactics
		World Cup 98	PS1, Win	Sports (soccer)

April–June

Month	Day	Title	Platform(s)	Genre(s)	Source(s)
A P R I L	4		Sat	Tactical role-playing, dating sim, visual novel	^[59]
	7		PS1	Real-time tactics	^[60]
	9	G-Darius	PS1	Shoot 'em up	^[61]
	14		N64	Racing
	17	Puyo Puyo Sun	Win	Puzzle	^[62]
	29		Neo	Fighting
		Shining Force III Scenario 2 – Target: Child of God	Sat	Tactical role-playing
		Super Tempo	Sat	Platform	^[63]
	30	Bomberman Hero	N64	Platform
			Win	Role-playing
		World Cup 98	Win	Sports (soccer)
M A Y	7	Jazz Jackrabbit 2	Win	Platform	^[64]
	18	World Cup 98	N64	Sports (soccer)
	21	Baroque	Sat	Role-playing
	22	Unreal	Win	First-person shooter	^[65]
	28	Radiant Silvergun	Arcade	Shoot 'em up
		The King of Fighters '97	PS1	Fighting
J U N E	4	Atelier Marie Plus	PS1	Role-playing
		International Superstar Soccer 98	N64	Sports (soccer)
		Vigilante 8	PS1	Vehicular combat	^[66]
	11	Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix	PS1	Fighting
	12	Wetrix	N64	Puzzle	^[67]
	24		Win	Real-time tactics
	25		Sat	Action-adventure
	29	Banjo-Kazooie	N64	Platform	^[68]
		Street Fighter Alpha 3	Arcade	Fighting
	30	Deathtrap Dungeon	Win	Action-adventure
		Deep Fear	Sat	Survival horror
		N2O: Nitrous Oxide	PS1	Shoot 'em up	^[69]

July–September

Month	Day	Title	Platform(s)	Genre(s)	Source(s)
J U L Y	4	Heart of Darkness	PS1	Platform
	9	Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix	Sat	Fighting
	14	F-Zero X	N64	Racing	^[70]
		WWF War Zone	PS1	Sports (professional wrestling)
	16	Brave Fencer Musashi	PS1	Action role-playing
		Hopkins FBI	Win	Adventure	^[71]
	23	Radiant Silvergun	Sat	Shoot 'em up
			NeoCD	Fighting
	30		PS1	Action role-playing
	31	Urban Assault	Win	First-person shooter, real-time strategy
		F-1 World Grand Prix	N64	Racing
		Heart of Darkness	Win	Platform
		Iggy's Reckin' Balls	N64	Racing
A U G U S T	1		N64	Platform
		Pokémon Stadium	N64	Role-playing	^[72]
	6	Resident Evil: Director's Cut – Dual Shock Version	PS1	Survival horror
		Wachenröder	Sat	Tactical role-playing
	11	WWF War Zone	N64	Sports (professional wrestling)
	21	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six	Win	Tactical shooter
	25	Madden NFL 99	PS1	Sports (football)
	27	Black/Matrix	Sat	Tactical role-playing
S E P T E M B E R	3	Metal Gear Solid	PS1	Action-adventure, stealth	^[73]
	9	NASCAR 99	N64	Racing	^[74]
		NFL Blitz	N64	Sports (football)	^[75]
	10	NFL Blitz	PS1	Sports (football)	^[76]
		Spyro the Dragon	PS1	Platform	^[77]
	12	Pokémon Yellow	GB	Role-playing	^[78]
	17	Suikoden	Sat	Role-playing
	23	Digital Monster Version S: Digimon Tamers	Sat	Virtual pet
		Madden NFL 99	N64	Sports (football)
		Shining Force III Scenario 3 – Bulzome Rising	Sat	Tactical role-playing
	25	Dragon Warrior Monsters	GBC	Role-playing
	26	Dance Dance Revolution	Arcade	Music
	30	Body Harvest	N64	Action-adventure
		Caesar III	Win	City-building
		Delta Force	Win	Tactical shooter
			Win	Platform
		NHL 99	PS1, Win	Sports (ice hockey)
			PS1	Vehicular combat
			Win	First-person shooter

October–December

Month	Day	Title	Platform(s)	Genre(s)	Source(s)
O C T O B E R	1	MediEvil	PS1	Action-adventure	^[79]
		NHL 99	N64	Sports (ice hockey)	^[80]
	2	NFL Blitz	Win	Sports (football)	^[81]
	12		Win	Racing
	14		Win, Mac	First-person shooter	^[82]
	21		N64	First-person shooter	^[83]
		Tetris DX	GBC	Puzzle	^[84]
		Wario Land II	GBC	Platform	^[85]
	22	Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter	Sat	Fighting
	28	Grim Fandango	Win	Adventure	^[86]
		Trespasser	Win	Action-adventure	^[87]
	29	Fallout 2	Win	Role-playing	^[88]
	30	The Fifth Element	Win, PS1	Action-adventure game	^[89]
	31		Win	Real-time strategy
		Apocalypse	PS1	Third-person shooter
		Centipede	Win	Shoot 'em up
			PS1	Platform	^[90]
		FIFA 99	Win	Sports (soccer)
		Glover	N64, Win	Platform
		Heretic II	Win	Action-adventure
		NBA Live 99	PS1, Win	Sports (basketball)	^[91]
			PS1, Win	Platform	^[92]
		Railroad Tycoon II	Win	Business simulation
N O V E M B E R	1	Red Comrades Save the Galaxy	Win	Adventure
	4	NBA Live 99	N64	Sports (basketball)	^[93]
	5		Win	Adventure
	9	SiN	Win	First-person shooter	^[94]
	10		N64	Racing
	11	Sonic R	Win	Racing
	14		Win	Action-adventure	^[95]
	19	Half-Life	Win	First-person shooter	^[96]
	20	The Settlers III	Win	Real-time strategy, city-building	^[97]
		Tomb Raider III	PS1, Win	Action-adventure	^[98]
	21		N64	Action-adventure	^[99]
	25		Win	First-person shooter	^[100]
	27	Puyo Puyo Sun	GBC	Puzzle
	30	FIFA 99	PS1, N64	Sports (soccer)
D E C E M B E R	1		GBC	Platform
			Win	Stealth	^[101]
	3		Win	Action
	4	Magic and Mayhem	Win	Real-time strategy
	7		N64	Action
	12	Falcon 4.0	Win	Air combat simulation
		Hey You, Pikachu!	N64	Virtual pet	^[102]
			GBC	Action-adventure	^[103]
	17	Suikoden II	PS1	Role-playing
	18	Mario Party	N64	Party	^[104]
		Pokémon Trading Card Game	GBC	Digital collectible card game	^[105]
			Win	Real-time strategy	^[106]
	21	Baldur's Gate	Win	Role-playing	^[107]
		South Park	N64	First-person shooter	^[108]
	23	Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon 2	PS1	Roguelike	^[109]
		Sonic Adventure	DC	Platform	^[110]
			Win	First-person shooter	^[111]
	28		Win	Real-time tactics	^[112]
	31	Akuji the Heartless	PS1	Action-adventure

See also

• 1998 in games

Notes and References

1. News: Sega Enterprises Pulls Its Saturn Video Console From the U.S. Market . October 20, 2019 . Stephanie Strom . The New York Times . March 14, 1998 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130430012902/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/14/business/international-business-sega-enterprises-pulls-its-saturn-video-console-us-market.html?pagewanted=1 . April 30, 2013 . live . mdy-all .
2. Book: Kent, Steven L.. Steven L. Kent. . 2001. Prima Publishing. Roseville, California. 0-7615-3643-4. 558.
3. Web site: Attendance and Stats. IGN. June 8, 2012 . en. May 21, 2015.
4. News: November 28, 1998 . FuncoLand game store opens at 100 Oaks . . Newspapers.com . . 53.
5. Web site: ゲームボーイライト . . ja . October 20, 2019.
6. Web site: ゲームボーイカラー . . ja . October 20, 2019.
7. Book: Kent, Steven L.. Steven L. Kent. The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World. 2001. Prima Publishing. Roseville, California. 0-7615-3643-4. 563–564.
8. Web site: 1998. 3rd CESA Awards. February 13, 2012. Japan Game Awards.
9. Web site: 1998 Japan Media Arts Festival Awards. https://web.archive.org/web/20100905220002/http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/1998/. 5 September 2010. March 1, 2009. Japan Media Arts Plaza, Agency for Cultural Affairs. ja.
10. News: 15 January 1999. Digitiser's Top Games of 1998. Digitiser. 19 October 2021.
11. Web site: File:Edge UK 067.pdf – Retro CDN. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20190628131008/https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:Edge_UK_067.pdf&page=72. 28 June 2019. 29 March 2017. retrocdn.net.
12. April 1999. 1998 Gamers' Choice Awards. Electronic Gaming Monthly. 117. 107–114 [114].
13. Web site: 2 January 2017. 25 Years Of Game Informer's GOTY Awards. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20171230060137/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/01/02/looking-back-at-25-years-of-game-informer-s-goty-awards.aspx?PostPageIndex=1. 30 December 2017. 29 December 2017. GameInformer.com.
14. GamePro, issue 130 (July 1999), pages 44-46
15. Web site: 8 May 1999. GameSpot Console Game of the Year 1998 – Archived from original videogames.com web site. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/19990508222939/http://www.videogames.com/features/universal/awards98/sec15.html. 8 May 1999. 31 July 2012.
16. Web site: Academy of Interactive Arts & Science Game of the Year 1998. 26 August 2015. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
17. Web site: Games in 1998. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402113152/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1998/interactive/games. 2 April 2015. 13 March 2015. BAFTA.
18. Web site: Home Entertainment Awards – Video Games. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120502200505/http://www.entmerch.org/industry/awards/emavsda-home-entertainment-/home-entertainment-awards-v-2.html. 2 May 2012. 5 February 2012. Entertainment Merchants Association.
19. Web site: May 12, 1998. VSDA Announces Nominations for 1998 Home Entertainment Awards. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/19980613214745/http://www.vsda.org/newsite/vsdacontent/CONFAB4.HTM. 1998-06-13. 2021-11-09. Video Software Dealers Association.
20. January 1999. The Hyper Reader Awards 97-98. Hyper. 63. 38–41.
21. Web site: GameSpot PC Game of the Year 1998. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131005144227/http://www.gamespot.com/features/awards1998/gameofyear2.html. 5 October 2013. 28 August 2012. Gamespot.com.
22. "1998 OPM Editors' Awards", Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, volume 2, issue 5, February 1999, pages 92-99
23. Web site: 1st Annual RPG Awards - 1998. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20010630011126/http://www.rpgfan.com/features/awards.html. 2001-06-30. 27 October 2021. RPGFan.
24. Web site: Best Video Games for 1998 . February 17, 2019 . Metacritic.
25. Web site: Highest-Ranking Games of 1998 (with at least 5 reviews) . February 25, 2019 . GameRankings.
26. Web site: Highest-Ranking Games of 1998 (with at least 20 reviews) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161007001158/http://www.gamerankings.com/browse.html?site=&cat=0&year=1998&numrev=0&sort=0&letter=&search= . 2016-10-07 . February 25, 2019 . GameRankings.
27. Web site: Best Video Games for 1999 . February 23, 2019 . Metacritic.
28. Web site: Highest-Ranking Games of 1999 (with at least 10 reviews) . August 6, 2019 . GameRankings.
29. Web site: 週刊ファミ通クロスレビュープラチナ殿堂入りソフト一覧. Weekly Famitsu Cross Review Platinum Hall of Fame Software List. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20081027205828/http://geimin.net/da/db/cross_review/index.php. October 27, 2008. 24 February 2021. Geimin. ja.
30. Web site: 31 December 2003. Cumulative Production Shipments of Hardware / PlayStation. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20040422075722/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps_e.html. 2004-04-22. 2021-12-25. Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.. Sony.
31. Web site: September 2012. Consolidated Sales Transition by Region. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121030031244/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1209.pdf. 2012-10-30. 2021-12-26. Nintendo. Nintendo Co., Ltd..
32. January 2000. Game Boy Enjoys Record-Breaking Year. GamePro. 136. 34. 26 December 2021.
33. Web site: Clements. Matthew T.. Ohashi. Hiroshi. October 2004. Indirect Network Effects and the Product Cycle: Video Games in the U.S., 1994–2002. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307012843/http://www.netinst.org/Clements_Ohashi.pdf. March 7, 2016. September 21, 2011. NET Institute. 12, 24.
34. 小川 (Ogawa). 純生 (Sumio). 2010-12-14. テレビゲーム機の変遷 —ファミコン、スーパーファミコン、プレステ、プレステ2、Wiiまで—. Recent Developments in Video Game Technology in Japan — Famicom, Super Famicom, Play Station, Play Station 2 and Wii —. 経営論集 (Keiei Ronshū). ja. March 2011. 77. 1–17 (2). 0286-6439. https://web.archive.org/web/20150725185700/http://www.toyo.ac.jp/uploaded/attachment/3049.pdf. 2015-07-25. 2021-12-06. Toyo University Academic Information Repository (Toyo University).
35. Web site: Game Search. 25 April 2020. Game Data Library. Famitsu.
36. News: February 12, 1999. Milia News; ECCSELL Awards Name Winners. GameSpot. dead. January 1, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/19990830171428/http://www.gamespot.com/milia/0212/ecc/index.html. August 30, 1999. mdy-all.
37. Book: 97年9月～98年8月 . 1997.09~1998.08 . TV Game Ranking Databook: 1995.9~1998.8 . 15 December 1998 . ベストセラーズ (Bestsellers) . 978-4-584-16090-9 . 19 . https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/M/MULTi88/20200928/20200928080910.jpg . ja.
38. 1998年のコンシューマーゲームソフトの売上Top100 . 1998 Consumer Game Software Sales: Top 100 . . . ja . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20010921202950/http://www.rnac.ne.jp/~zangel/1998.htm . 21 September 2001 . 16 September 2021.
39. Book: Kohler . Chris . Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life . 21 October 2016 . . 978-0-486-80149-0 . 234 . The Game Boy titles Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue were released on September 27, 1998. They became the fastest-selling Game Boy titles ever, selling a combined 200,000 copies in the first two weeks of their availability. By the end of 1998 they had sold four million units in the US alone across three versions. In Japan, across four versions the game had sold nearly 12 million copies..
40. News: King . Sharon R. . Mania for 'Pocket Monsters' Yields Billions for Nintendo . 22 October 2021 . . 26 April 1999.
41. News: Zelda Breaks All Records . 21 October 2021 . . 8 January 1999.
42. News: On Top Of Their Game . 25 October 2021 . Supermarket News . 8 February 1999 . en.
43. News: April 22, 1999 . High Scores: Top Titles in the Game Industry . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19990508194727/http://www.feedmag.com/vgs/data.html . May 8, 1999.
44. Web site: Lemaire. Oscar. Animal Crossing New Horizons est le jeu vidéo le plus vendu de l'année 2020 en France en physique. Animal Crossing New Horizons is the best-selling video game of the year 2020 in France in physical. 18 November 2021. Twitter. Ludostrie. fr.
45. Web site: Die Spaßmaschine . November 23, 1998 . Müller, Eva . Canibol, Hans-Peter . 48 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20181206015705/http://www.focus.de/finanzen/news/unterhaltung-die-spassmaschine_aid_174129.html . December 6, 2018 . de . live.
46. https://web.archive.org/web/20000610165302/http://www.vud.de/infopres/PM-271198.htm . Neues aus der Verbandsgeschäftstelle . . 27 November 1998 . . 10 June 2000 . de . dead.
47. Web site: Top 20 Console Games Ranked by Units Sold, 1998–2013 . . . 22 October 2021.
48. 第12回 ゲーメスト大賞 . 11th Gamest Awards . . December 26, 1998 . 248 (January–February 1999) . 35–51 . ja. alternate url
49. Akagi. Masumi. "Tekken 3", "House of the Dead" Top Annual Chart. Game Machine. 580. Amusement Press, Inc.. 1 February 1999. 22.
50. Web site: Robotron 64 Ships to Retailers . January 5, 1998 . . November 11, 2019.
51. Web site: Resident Evil 2 (1998) . . February 25, 2019.
52. Web site: ゼノギアス詳細 . ja . . February 25, 2019.
53. Web site: テン・エイティ スノーボーディング . 24 October 2007 . ja . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20071227162549/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_ntej/ . 27 December 2007 . dmy-all .
54. Web site: ReBoot (1998) . . November 10, 2019.
55. Web site: NFS III Update . September 23, 1998 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20000622221854/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_09/23_nfsthree/index.html . June 22, 2000 . dead . November 8, 2019.
56. Web site: PlayStation/鉄拳3-TEKKEN3 . . ja . February 25, 2019.
57. Web site: パラサイト・イヴ [PS] / ファミ通.com ]. www.famitsu.com . February 24, 2019.
58. Web site: StarCrafts 10-Year Anniversary: A Retrospective. https://web.archive.org/web/20080402134120/http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/10-years-starcraft.html. April 2, 2008. Blizzard Entertainment. February 24, 2019.
59. Web site: http://sakura-taisen.com/game/databace/sakura_2.html . ja:サクラ大戦.com ゲームタイトル紹介 – サクラ大戦2～君、死にたもうことなかれ～ . ja . Sakura Wars Portal Site . February 24, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140719163020/http://sakura-taisen.com/game/databace/sakura_2.html . July 19, 2014 . dead .
60. Web site: Warhammer: Dark Omen for PlayStation (1998). MobyGames. 2019-10-15.
61. Web site: G Darius Releases. MobyGames. 2023-08-24.
62. Web site: Puyo Puyo Sun Releases. MobyGames. 2023-08-24.
63. Web site: スーパーテンポ [セガサターン] / ファミ通.com]. www.famitsu.com. February 24, 2019.
64. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/19980628112019/http://www.jazzjackrabbit.com/headline.htm . The Daily Carrot: Jazz 2 Top Stories . May 7, 1998 . June 28, 1998 . Jazz Jackrabbit . November 10, 2019.
65. Web site: Unreal Releases. MobyGames. 2023-08-24.
66. Web site: Nelson . Randy . June 4, 1998 . Vigilante 8 (PS) . . February 24, 2019.
67. Web site: John Pickford's Biography. www.zee-3.com. 2019-10-15.
68. Web site: Banjo-Kazooie . . 2023-08-24.
69. Web site: N2O: Nitrous Oxide . . February 24, 2019.
70. Web site: F-Zero X Introduction . February 24, 2019 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20090422055953/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_nfzj/ . 2009-04-22 . ja . live .
71. Web site: Hopkins FBI (PC) . . pl . November 11, 2019.
72. Web site: ポケモンスタジアム . . ja . February 24, 2019.
73. Web site: 『メタルギアソリッド』発売20周年！90年代の世相を内包した『MGS』サーガの再出発を振り返る【特集】 . ja . September 3, 2018 . Game*Spark . February 25, 2019.
74. Web site: N64 Games in September . September 16, 1998 . . February 25, 2019.
75. Web site: Blitz Ships Early . September 9, 1998 . . February 25, 2019.
76. Web site: Go Get Blitzed! . September 10, 1998 . . February 25, 2019.
77. Web site: Spyro the Dragon . https://web.archive.org/web/20040603042945/http://www.insomniacgames.com/html/games/spyro1/index.html . Insomniac Games website . February 24, 2019 . June 3, 2004 . live . Release Date: September 10, 1998 .
78. Web site: ポケットモンスターイエロー . . ja . February 24, 2019.
79. Web site: MediEvil . . February 24, 2019.
80. Web site: EA Ships NHL 99 . October 1, 1998 . . February 25, 2019.
81. Web site: NFL Blitz . Jason Bates . October 6, 1998 . . February 25, 2019.
82. Web site: Star Trek: The Next Generation - Klingon Honor Guard (1998) . 2023-07-06 . MobyGames . en.
83. Web site: Turok 2: Seeds of Evil . . February 26, 2018 . February 24, 2019.
84. Web site: テトリスデラックス . . ja . February 24, 2019.
85. Web site: ワリオランド2 . . ja . February 24, 2019.
86. News: San Francisco Chronicle . October 27, 1998 . Laura . Evenson . Fleshing Out an Idea . March 15, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714224854/http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Fleshing-Out-an-Idea-Day-of-the-Dead-inspires-2982510.php . July 14, 2014 . live.
87. Web site: Wyckoff . Richard . 1999-05-14 . Postmortem: DreamWorks Interactive's Trespasser . 2023-07-08 . Game Developer . en.
88. Web site: Fallout 2 Ships. Mullen, Micheal. October 26, 1998. GameSpot. https://web.archive.org/web/20000610191645/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_10/26_fallout/index.html. June 10, 2000. dead. November 13, 2019.
    "Fallout 2 for Windows 95/98 should show up on retailers' shelves nationwide on Thursday, October 29."
89. Web site: 2024-05-17 . Fifth Element Review - IGN . https://web.archive.org/web/20240517115036/https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/10/02/fifth-element-review . dead . 2024-05-17 . 2024-05-17 .
90. Web site: Naughty Dog – 30 Year Timeline . . February 24, 2019.
91. Web site: NBA Live 99 . . February 25, 2019.
92. Web site: Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus . . December 7, 2010 . February 24, 2019.
93. Web site: NBA Live Ships Early . November 4, 1998 . . February 25, 2019.
94. Web site: Sin Ships. November 9, 1998. IGN. https://web.archive.org/web/20000417070618/http://pc.ign.com/news/5637.html. April 17, 2000. dead. September 20, 2019.
95. Web site: The Elder Scrolls The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard . 2022-09-12 . Elder Scrolls.
96. Web site: Half-Life . . February 24, 2019.
97. What's Up?: Wesolych Swiat . . 76 . January 1999 . 5 . February 24, 2019 . de . PDF.
98. Web site: Lara Swings for Three . . November 19, 1998 . February 24, 2019.
99. Web site: ゼルダの伝説 時のオカリナ . . ja . February 24, 2019.
100. Web site: Blood II Bleeds Out to Retailers. November 25, 1998. GameSpot. https://web.archive.org/web/20000608194530/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_11/25_pc_blood/index.html. June 8, 2000. dead. September 20, 2019.
101. Web site: Thief on the Loose. Alan. Dunkin. December 1, 1998. GameSpot. https://web.archive.org/web/20000605225343/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_12/01_pc_thief/index.html. June 5, 2000. dead. September 20, 2019.
102. Web site: ピカチュウげんきでちゅう . . ja . February 24, 2019.
103. Web site: ゼルダの伝説 . . ja . February 24, 2019.
104. Web site: マリオパーティ . . ja . February 24, 2019.
105. Web site: ポケモンカードGB . . ja . February 24, 2019.
106. Web site: Playback: Week in Review. Micheal. Mullen. December 18, 1998. GameSpot. https://web.archive.org/web/20000613021548/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_12/18_pc_playback/index.html. June 13, 2000. dead. September 20, 2019. "Starcraft fans have been waiting - and not so patiently - for Blizzard's first expansion pack Brood War[s]. Well, Blizzard announced that the title is on its way to stores nationwide (and we actually received box copies Friday morning to prove it)."
107. Web site: Baldur's Gate Ships . RPG Vault . December 21, 1998 . February 24, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110727205647/http://rpgvaultarchive.ign.com/archive/19981220.shtml . July 27, 2011 . dead . mdy-all.
108. Web site: South Park . . July 25, 2014 . February 24, 2019.
109. Web site: ja:チョコボの不思議なダンジョン 2 . . http://www.jp.square-enix.com/archive/chocobo_fusigi2/ . February 24, 2019 . ja . https://web.archive.org/web/20140104215252/http://www.jp.square-enix.com/archive/chocobo_fusigi2/ . 2014-01-04 . live.
110. Web site: ドリームキャスト . Sonic Channel . Sega . February 24, 2019 . ja . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20151207142935/http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicChannel/gametitle/Dreamcast.html . December 7, 2015 .
111. Web site: New Releases. December 23, 1998. GameSpot. https://web.archive.org/web/20000608223826/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_12/23_pc_release/index.html. June 8, 2000. dead. September 20, 2019.
112. News: Monsters in a Box . . Mahin . Bill . March 23, 2000 . February 24, 2019.