Gaming in 1997/ Games you were pumped for

[FilthyEsquire]

http://www.ign.com/videos/2014/09/13/the-game-we-were-most-excited-for-up-at-noon

 

This really got me thinking, as in 1997 I owned literally, LITERALLY every system you could obtain in the U.S. market including neo-geo...

 

There have been TOO many games I was pumped for that met, and exceeded my expectations.

 

This list is glorious to look at again, and realizing I have played in it's respective time period EACH game, (except fallout) and was excited for more than half. If I were to say which games I've been most excited for and keep it under 6 games...

 

GTA/Goldeneye/perfectdark/timesplitters/reddead/tekken

 

I could easily elaborate on my choices, and I'm sure a handful will mention a great game I anticipated, (I used to wait for TOO many games to come out, not it seems not much is made that I am into, or my tastes changed.) but didn't mention.

 

What games were you stoked on, and what is your favorite era of gaming? I would love to see what a few of you were into, as I have noticed defined tastes, and some one here may (small chance) have played something I missed.

[FilthyEsquire]

Oh and in 97, Duke Nukem forever was announced... Damn. 97' you had to come hard, or not at all.

[BLOOD]

Lol i was just 3yrs old then but i started gaming in 1999

[Algonquin Assassin]

Coming to think about it 97 was when I got my first PS1. The game I was the most pumped for that year was Gran Turismo.

[Payne Killer]

I was born in 97, started gaming in 01.

[Onett]

Born in 2000 and started gaming four years later.

[rameski2894]

Quake 2 and GTA1

[Theodore93]

In '97, I was still playing Amiga and Mega Drive games as well as a few PC games. PS1 was the only console of that generation I owned and I didn't get that until mid '98.

 

So nothing really at that time. Sure there were games that looked good but I wasn't likely to get them.

 

In fact, I was always pretty behind in gaming up until the about sixth generation when I started buying my own consoles and games. In the early nineties when everyone was playing SNES and Mega Drive, I was playing ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Waldie

[FilthyEsquire]

In '97, I was still playing Amiga and Mega Drive games as well as a few PC games. PS1 was the only console of that generation I owned and I didn't get that until mid '98.

 

So nothing really at that time. Sure there were games that looked good but I wasn't likely to get them.

 

In fact, I was always pretty behind in gaming up until the about sixth generation when I started buying my own consoles and games. In the early nineties when everyone was playing SNES and Mega Drive, I was playing ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64.

I have never met another person in REALITY, and as a kid that had an amiga besides me. Same with mega drive... My father was in the Navy, and as a young man he worked in a toy and hobby store. He already had GEN one Takara made Transformers on ice for me, and too many systems and games for me to play.

 

My first game I might have ever remember seeing as a baby is Turbo, and he even had the wheel for it! LOL!

 

Many of you are still TEENS! It's a great time to go back and visit 97

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_in_video_gaming

 

Many of the greats are here. I've never played Fallout, but it started in 97... Final Fantasy 7... Too many dude. It'll blow your MIND!!!!!

[Kiffster]

'97 was definitely one of the best years of gaming for me. I got my first gaming pc (although I've been playing pc games since the early 90s), and some of the notable games I played and loved that year were Tomb Raider II, Carmageddon, Dungeon Keeper, Monkey Island 3, Krush Kill 'n Destroy, and of course GTA, to name a few.

[Dutch Psycho]

I was eleven and i owned a psx back then. I'm not sure wich game i was looking forward to but i guess crash bandicoot 2.

[FilthyEsquire]

'97 was definitely one of the best years of gaming for me. I got my first gaming pc (although I've been playing pc games since the early 90s), and some of the notable games I played and loved that year were Tomb Raider II, Carmageddon, Dungeon Keeper, Monkey Island 3, Krush Kill 'n Destroy, and of course GTA, to name a few.

Same for me... '97 RULED for games. I remember the magazines, the systems being announced, like PC gaming started for me around then, internet cafes, looking up codes on cheatcc... Too many game memories. TOO MANY!

 

I still love Pizza Hut because of back in the day (I know it's sh*t pizza, and RARELY eat them now) but I used to buy games, and get Pizza hut! LOL...

 

'97 is pretty much THE year of games.

[Tyla]

Not sure if it was 1997 or not but I remember saving pocket money up to buy Medievil from Argos. I was four or five and only had Gran Turismo and Formula 1 '97 at that point, young enough to be entertained simply driving cars around a track but smart enough to have some fun rearranging the race results so Minardi and Stewart ended up on the podium.

 

It used to be as I would play any game I'd pick up in the second hand bin at Electronics Boutique (remember those?). Now I'm not so sure any game pumps me up at all. Demo disks were a huge influence on what I played. Do they still do them?

[FilthyEsquire]

Not sure if it was 1997 or not but I remember saving pocket money up to buy Medievil from Argos. I was four or five and only had Gran Turismo and Formula 1 '97 at that point, young enough to be entertained simply driving cars around a track but smart enough to have some fun rearranging the race results so Minardi and Stewart ended up on the podium.

 

It used to be as I would play any game I'd pick up in the second hand bin at Electronics Boutique (remember those?). Now I'm not so sure any game pumps me up at all. Demo disks were a huge influence on what I played. Do they still do them?

You and I may have to take this convo private!! Medievil was 98, and THAT game IS/WAS amazing!!!!! Formula 97? I'm STRAIGHT AMERICAN, and Psygnosis LEFT a big impact on my memeory. I LOVED FORMULA 1 97! I LOVE MURRAY WALKER! He would yell "Its SCHUMACHER!!"

 

Man... This makes me remember how much I loved Monaco GP... I still have my Dynasty Warriors ONE, (the fighting game you noobs.) with my Dynasty Warriors still in the case with the receipt, from EB... Demo discs were HUGE for me...

 

Playstation Underground, and Playstation magazine.

 

The last thing I got from playstation magazine was the extra content for SOCOM 2!! Good times.

 

But speaking of bargain bin games, I can name too many I have tried and got blown away. Like Robo pit! LOL!! Look that one up!

 

But 97 was the uber year of games. Uber. Gran Turismo started then. Now the real new GTR has Gran Turismo elements in the car. The influence is real.

[darthYENIK]

I don't know. I didn't really look forward to games the same way as I do now. I just went down to Blockbuster Video, and whatever was new, I'd rent it. No one knew Goldeneye would be great. No one knew GTA would become the behemoth it is today. People knew of Final Fantasy, but it wasn't huge until after FFVII came out.

 

I guess if I knew it was coming out I'd be excited for Ocarina of Time in '98. I was a big fan of Link to the Past.

[Tchuck]

Goldeneye 007. But back then as a kid, I didn't look forward to games; they just happened. Nothing beat the feeling of going down to the local game rental place, and trying out something new that looked interesting. Nothing about reviews, hypes or anything; it was purely about playing, anything that had an interesting cover was fair enough. Simpler times!

[Kiffster]

Nothing about reviews, hypes or anything; it was purely about playing, anything that had an interesting cover was fair enough. Simpler times!

I was the same, which is why I wanted Blade Runner for example (also '97). Had a look at the cover and I thought it was some sort of shooter. It wasn't.

 

 

I still liked it though, and it is still one of the best movie-based games I've ever played.

[Captain Cash Card]

Tomb Raider II

 

The day I first played it was the day I knew I liked bewbs...

[ArcadeWilliamz]

I was born in 1998 and the first time I've played a video game was in 2002.

[don ovdi' island]

starting from oldest:

 

Driver 2 (I liked Driver 1, Driver 2 was terrible and extremely difficult.)

Any Crash Bandicoot game after the first one.

GTA San Andreas (GTA Vice was my first GTA and what made me a GTA fan, I was so ready for GTA SA to come out)

Marc ecko's getting up (I loved this game so F'ing much) and heard about it just a few weeks before it came out

Saints Row 1 (bought an xbox 360 just for it)

Saints Row 2 (extremely disappointed)

 

 

Now I'll tell you what games i wasn't pumped for that I ended up loving:

 

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (I had COD2 and didnt like it, I bought Call of Duty 4 on the strength that it was a modern war game, and it ended up being one of my favorite Call of Duties.

 

Red Dead Redemption: Skeptical about this game at first, i ended up freaking LOVING it.. can't wait for a sequel.

 

 

Personally, I think the PS2 era had the best games. Games nowadays may look pretty, but many of them are uninteresting to me.

[FilthyEsquire]

I never played Marc Eckos getting up... I gotta do that sometime this week. And I will. PS2 had too many BANGERZ! (LOL at that weak spelling of "Bangers")

 

I too OWNED an xbox for saints. And I loved the first one... 2 was sh*t!! LOL!! Never owned one again after 1. Luckily my friend owned a game store at the time and I didn't purchase it.

 

I LOVED auto modellista and got it day one, and played it for almost 2 years straight. It got the worst reviews too!! LOL!!! I just played RDR last month, and was skeptical as I am NOT a fan of western movies generally... I am converted.

 

You had some good ones Dreaded_Verse...I'm in thought now.

[FilthyEsquire]

I don't know. I didn't really look forward to games the same way as I do now. I just went down to Blockbuster Video, and whatever was new, I'd rent it. No one knew Goldeneye would be great. No one knew GTA would become the behemoth it is today. People knew of Final Fantasy, but it wasn't huge until after FFVII came out.

 

I guess if I knew it was coming out I'd be excited for Ocarina of Time in '98. I was a big fan of Link to the Past.

I've always been a BOND fan. In my house Final Fantasy was a staple since mystic quest... Then I went and played the older ones... And I knew GTA would be. I can prove this sir. Before driver even released I said "Once this game is 3d it's going to be like a crime sim... LOL!"

 

Driver did... and I was stunned... It even had the three same locations. (regionally) Then I knew it was possible. Only driver was missing the carnage. Even driver 2 tried taking on some of the GTA formula. IT was then I knew. I knew it...

 

Then it happened. I played every Rockstar release before GTA III... The writing was on the wall with smugglers run, and midnight club. I even told people it was gunna be like those.

 

And final fantasy 7 DID cement the series. To it's credit that was always their plan. It was gunna be on nintendo first!!

[don ovdi' island]

I never played Marc Eckos getting up... I gotta do that sometime this week. And I will. PS2 had too many BANGERZ! (LOL at that weak spelling of "Bangers")

 

I too OWNED an xbox for saints. And I loved the first one... 2 was sh*t!! LOL!! Never owned one again after 1. Luckily my friend owned a game store at the time and I didn't purchase it.

 

I LOVED auto modellista and got it day one, and played it for almost 2 years straight. It got the worst reviews too!! LOL!!! I just played RDR last month, and was skeptical as I am NOT a fan of western movies generally... I am converted.

 

You had some good ones Dreaded_Verse...I'm in thought now.

getting up is amazing. (If you're into that kind of stuff the game revolves around) . I played it and beat it literally over 10 times. it was fun and had a good soundtrack to match. They say they never made another getting up because of the type of behavior it causes. Amazing, GTA, a game about theft and murder is not as bad as a game about vandalism & rebellion. Society huh?

 

I wish i could still find a copy for sale locally but thats not gonna happen. Id have to get one online if i wanted to play it again.

 

I bought Saints Row 2 and it fell extremely short of my expectations. Never touched a SR game after that either.

 

& it's crazy. I thought the same thing about RDR too.. Like "man this is some cowboy sh*t" … but R* made it so i gave it a chance, ended up loving it.. seriously i wish online was still up and running with actual players and not hackers playing … -_-

 

 

I don't know. I didn't really look forward to games the same way as I do now. I just went down to Blockbuster Video, and whatever was new, I'd rent it. No one knew Goldeneye would be great. No one knew GTA would become the behemoth it is today. People knew of Final Fantasy, but it wasn't huge until after FFVII came out.

I guess if I knew it was coming out I'd be excited for Ocarina of Time in '98. I was a big fan of Link to the Past.

I've always been a BOND fan. In my house Final Fantasy was a staple since mystic quest... Then I went and played the older ones... And I knew GTA would be. I can prove this sir. Before driver even released I said "Once this game is 3d it's going to be like a crime sim... LOL!"

 

Driver did... and I was stunned... It even had the three same locations. (regionally) Then I knew it was possible. Only driver was missing the carnage. Even driver 2 tried taking on some of the GTA formula. IT was then I knew. I knew it...

 

Then it happened. I played every Rockstar release before GTA III... The writing was on the wall with smugglers run, and midnight club. I even told people it was gunna be like those.

 

And final fantasy 7 DID cement the series. To it's credit that was always their plan. It was gunna be on nintendo first!!

 

 

Driver, in a way, paved the way for GTA in terms of a 3-d open world game.

 

Driver 1 also had Miami, San Francisco, L.A., and NYC.. future GTA games would have LC (NYC), Vice City (Miami), San Fierro, (San Fran) & Los Santos (L.A.)

 

Driver was good but Driver 2 was terrible.

 

 

Damn Its hard to believe Smugglers Run came out before GTA III. I remember playing that game a lot as well as Midnight Club. Matter fact, I even had a special car in Midnight Club exclusively for people that had both games. (think it unlocked if you had a Smugglers Run save on your PS2 memory card)

 

I liked Virtual Fighter 4.. it was a nice change from Tekken.

Did anyone here have a Dreamcast? Damn I'm really cooking up the nostalgia here. They don't make em like they used too!!!!!

Edited September 15, 2014 by dreaded_verse

[Straypuft]

Back in 97, it was totally word of mouth for me, i barely had an allowance when it came to money, so nothing was spent on games on my behalf, best I could do at the time was family owned SNES and Sega Genesis, But my sister did come across a copy of Duke Nuken 3D and Duke it out in DC that I would play on the family computer, One of the first games I was able to get my hands on for myself was Flight Simulator 98, that and Duke3d held me over til 2000 when I would have bought my first computer a year after starting my first job at age 16 in 1999, almost inhibited internet access opened my eyes to the world of pc gaming at the time.

 

Oh, we did have a game pack for windows that came with out of our computers, it included Chips Challenge which I really enjoyed

[DarrinPA]

1997... Those were the days. I remember trying in vain to find a copy of Mario Kart to rent, it took months for the hype to die down to get my hands on it. GoldenEye 007 was intense. I couldn't stop playing it. Demand was so high for the game that it was sold out for weeks and the only local place that had it charged $85. Star Fox 64 was as if they pulled straight out of my dreams. Star Fox on the SNES had potential and I always wanted more, they delieved it perfectly. So many other great games.Blast Corps was something that many people couldn't enjoy but I loved the challenge. It mixed some many different styles together flawlessly.

 

The creative freedom of this new generation wasn't being stifled by attempting to copy the competion considering that some of these games were the first of it's kind. The possibilities were endless. The idea of making games cinematic hadn't really crept into the art form that was simply videogames. If you read indepth stories, you'll find that many of the games were designed by just a few people at certain points of the process. GoldenEye's multi-player was done by Steve Ellis, who "sat in a room with all the code written for a single-player game and turned GoldenEye into a multiplayer game." While Blast Corps was mostly only 4 guys who worked on the game.

[FilthyEsquire]

Driver, in a way, paved the way for GTA in terms of a 3-d open world game.

 

 

Driver 1 also had Miami, San Francisco, L.A., and NYC.. future GTA games would have LC (NYC), Vice City (Miami), San Fierro, (San Fran) & Los Santos (L.A.)

 

Driver was good but Driver 2 was terrible.

 

 

Damn Its hard to believe Smugglers Run came out before GTA III. I remember playing that game a lot as well as Midnight Club. Matter fact, I even had a special car in Midnight Club exclusively for people that had both games. (think it unlocked if you had a Smugglers Run save on your PS2 memory card)

 

I liked Virtual Fighter 4.. it was a nice change from Tekken.

Did anyone here have a Dreamcast? Damn I'm really cooking up the nostalgia here. They don't make em like they used too!!!!!

 

GTA1 FYI... Had the three cities innit already that Driver replicated. LOL!!! SO many people forget that. Driver knew what they were doing. And GTA knew what they were doing with the sabre. Driver only proved it was possible but a years away from being refined. And does anyone have a Dreamcast? Pssh! I have both the black one, and grey one. AND my Sega Saturn. I loved Virtual Fighter, but sadly have not played any since 4. Smugglers Run, Midnight Club, and Oni, were like tech demos for the guts going into GTAIII.

 

Driver2? It had curved roads, that weren't just right angles and you could enter and exit vehicles. And besides muddy graphics and decent music that is all it added. Driver did not pave the way. They proved it was possible. The only thing people could say against GTA 1 against it was confusing view, and I wish it were 3d. I remember like yesterday. Probably why they named the gremlin in Lost and the Damned, the Rhapsody.

Edited September 15, 2014 by FilthyEsquire

[FilthyEsquire]

The creative freedom of this new generation wasn't being stifled by attempting to copy the competion considering that some of these games were the first of it's kind. The possibilities were endless. The idea of making games cinematic hadn't really crept into the art form that was simply videogames. If you read indepth stories, you'll find that many of the games were designed by just a few people at certain points of the process. GoldenEye's multi-player was done by Steve Ellis, who "sat in a room with all the code written for a single-player game and turned GoldenEye into a multiplayer game." While Blast Corps was mostly only 4 guys who worked on the game.

This is why I backed Timesplitters. I knew it was some of the same heads that did Goldeneye. Perfect Dark was/is perfection. I still play it to this day. Perfect Sims are far from perfect when I'm running and gunning! LOL!!! Everything you said is 100% how I remember it. I couldn't find mario kart for four days... I had to order it. I was hyped for it, but didn't overall enjoy it as much as Super Mario Kart for the snes. ONE of the last Mario games I played was Mario Kart 64 (Played and TRIED to LOVE that is...) And Star Fox... You better believe I loved both of them. I wouldn't mind an actual F-Zero too... I actually played the devil outta it on SNES!

[Gdog]

i was only 6 at the time. i'd have been playing on my PS1. can't even remember some of the games i used to play on it. don't think i really looked forward to games at that point.

[SilkRiver2648]

shadows of the empire. I know it's 96 but it was released very late in the year. I loved playing it and Mario 64 with the aircon maxed out and all rugged up.

[AceThaCreator]

Well this year was exactly when i got playstation which was my first gaming system and was 7 at the time. I remember receiving a squaresoft demo that had one game to this day that is my favorite game of all time which is no other then Final Fantasy VII. I'll never forget being blown away at how great the game was for it's time from the visuals(first japanese rpg i ever played) to the music, characters(favorite ff crew)and storyline. That game got me hooked and i logged in SO many hours into that game and have beaten it i forget how many times. Other honorable mentions are Tomb raider 2 which my mom got me into because she played it along with tekken 2, and Crash Bandicoot 2. There are many others that i have forgotten about that was a GOOD YEAR in gaming for sure.