1998 in video games

1998 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Crash Bandicoot: Warped, F-Zero X, Fallout 2, Gex: Enter the Gecko, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, Metal Gear Solid, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Resident Evil 2, Return to Krondor, Sonic Adventure, Soulcalibur, Street Fighter Alpha 3, and Tomb Raider III, along with new titles such as Banjo-Kazooie, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, MediEvil, Parasite Eve, Radiant Silvergun, Spyro the Dragon, StarCraft and Xenogears. In Japan, Sega released the Dreamcast which was the first console of the sixth generation and also the company's last major console.

The year has been retrospectively considered one of the best and most influential in video game history due to the release of numerous critically acclaimed, commercially successful and influential titles across all platforms and genres at the time.^[1] 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.

Legend

Video game platforms

Arcade	Arcade video game	DC	Dreamcast	GB	Game Boy
GBC	Game Boy Color	GEN	Sega Genesis / Mega Drive	MAC	Classic Mac OS, 2001 and before
N64	Nintendo 64, iQue Player	NEO	Neo Geo AES	NEOCD	Neo Geo CD
NES	Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom	PS1	PlayStation 1	SAT	Sega Saturn
SNES	Super Nintendo / Super Famicom / Super Comboy	WIN	Microsoft Windows, all versions Windows 95 and up

Genre notes

Action	Action game	Action RPG	Action role-playing game	Action-adventure	Action-adventure game
Adventure	Adventure game	Business Sim	Term not found	City builder	City-building game
Dating sim	Dating sim	DCCG	Digital collectible card game	Fighting	Fighting game
FPS	First-person shooter	Music	Music video game	Platformer	Platformer
Puzzle	Puzzle video game	Racing	Racing game	Rhythm	Rhythm game
Roguelike	Roguelike	RPG	Role-playing video game	RTS	Real-time strategy
RTT	Real-time tactics	Sports	Sports video game	Stealth	Stealth game
Strategy	Strategy video game	Tactical RPG	Tactical role-playing game	TPS	Third-person shooter
Virtual pet	Pet-raising simulation	Visual novel	Visual novel

Hardware releases

Dreamcast

Date	System
April 14	Game Boy LightJP[2]
October 21	Game Boy ColorJP[3]
November 18	Game Boy ColorNA
November 23	Game Boy ColorEU
November 27	DreamcastJP[4]

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	Ref
CESA Awards	The Legend of Zelda: Toki no Ocarina (Ocarina of Time)	N64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	[5]
Japan Media Arts Festival					[6]
Digitiser	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time				[7]
Edge					[8]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)					[9]
Game Informer					[10]
GamePro					[11]
GameSpot					[12]
Interactive Achievement Awards					[13]
BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards	GoldenEye 007	N64	Nintendo	FPS	[14]
Video Software Dealers Association					[15][16]
Hyper	Final Fantasy VII	PS1, WIN	Sony, Eidos	RPG	[17]
RPGFan					[18]
GameSpot	Grim Fandango	WIN	LucasArts	Adventure	[19]
Gamest Awards	Psychic Force 2012	Arcade	Taito	Fighting	[20]
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	Metal Gear Solid	PS1	Konami	Stealth	[21]
RPGFan	Lunar 2: Eternal Blue	SAT	Game Arts	RPG	[18]

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)^[22] or 87.5% (GR)^[23][24]

Game	Publisher	Release Date	Platform	MC score	GR score
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo	November 21, 1998	N64	99/100	97.54%
Tekken 3	Namco	March 26, 1998	PS1	96/100	95.8%
Half-Life	Sierra Entertainment	November 19, 1998	WIN	96/100	94.02%
Metal Gear Solid	Konami	September 3, 1998	PS1	94/100	93.24%
Grim Fandango	LucasArts	October 30, 1998	WIN	94/100	92.97%
Resident Evil 2	Capcom	January 21, 1998	PS1	89/100	93.13%
Street Fighter Alpha 3	Capcom	December 23, 1998	PS1	93/100[25]	90.28%[26]
StarCraft	Blizzard Entertainment	March 31, 1998	WIN	88/100	92.85%
Panzer Dragoon Saga	Sega	January 29, 1998	SAT	—	92.46%
Banjo-Kazooie	Nintendo	June 29, 1998	N64	92/100	92.38%
Thief: The Dark Project	Eidos Interactive	December 1, 1998	WIN	92/100	89.41%
Baldur's Gate	Interplay Entertainment	December 21, 1998	WIN	91/100	91.94%
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	Nintendo	December 12, 1998	GBC	—	91.21%
International Superstar Soccer 98	Konami	June 4, 1998	N64	91/100	89.15%
Crash Bandicoot: Warped	Sony Computer Entertainment	October 31, 1998	PS1	91/100	89.07%
Xenogears	Square	February 11, 1998	PS1	84/100	90.99%
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus	GT Interactive	November 17, 1998	PS1	88/100	90.42%
NFL Blitz	Midway Games	September 12, 1998	PS1	—	90.13%
NFL Blitz	Midway Games	September 9, 1998	N64	—	90.02%
1080° Snowboarding	Nintendo	February 28, 1998	N64	—	89.60%
Battlezone	Activision	March 11, 1998	WIN	—	89.03%
Railroad Tycoon II	Gathering of Developers	November 2, 1998	WIN	89/100	83.15%
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil	Acclaim Entertainment	December 10, 1998	N64	86/100	88.96%
FIFA 99	EA Sports	October 31, 1998	WIN	—	88.87%
Caesar III	Sierra Entertainment	September 30, 1998	WIN	—	88.6%
Unreal	GT Interactive	May 22, 1998	WIN	—	88.58%
NBA Live 99	EA Sports	November 10, 1998	PS1	—	88.39%
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4	Namco	December 3, 1998	PS1	88/100[25]	88.16%[26]
NHL 99	EA Sports	September 30, 1998	WIN	—	88.11%
Wario Land II	Nintendo	March 7, 1998	GBC	—	88.04%[26]
Myth II: Soulblighter	Bungie	December 28, 1998	WIN	88/100	86.39%
Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit	Electronic Arts	March 25, 1998	PS1	88/100	85.63%
Starsiege: Tribes	Sierra Entertainment	December 23, 1998	WIN	88/100	84.77%
Shogo: Mobile Armor Division	Monolith Productions	October 15, 1998	WIN	88/100	81.6%
FIFA 99	EA Sports	October 31, 1998	PS1	—	87.95%
F-Zero X	Nintendo	July 14, 1998	N64	85/100	87.61%
Madden NFL 99	EA Sports	September 23, 1998	N64	—	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.^[27]

Title	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Score (out of 40)
The Legend of Zelda: Toki no Ocarina (Ocarina of Time)	N64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	40
Tekken 3	PS1	Namco	Fighting	39
Sonic Adventure	DC	Sega	Platformer	38
Biohazard 2 (Resident Evil 2)	PS1	Capcom	Survival horror	37
Metal Gear Solid	PS1	Konami	Stealth	37
Virtua Fighter 3tb	DC	Sega	Fighting	36
Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG (Panzer Dragon Saga)	SAT	Sega	RPG	35
Neo Atlas	PS1	Artdink	Strategy	35
Shiritsu Justice Gakuen: Legion of Heroes (Rival Schools)	PS1	Capcom	Fighting	35
Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland	GBC	Enix	RPG	35
Beatmania	PS1	Konami	Rhythm	35
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4	PS1	Namco	Racing	35
Crash Bandicoot 3 (Warped)	PS1	Sony	Platformer	35
Street Fighter Zero 3 (Street Fighter Alpha 3)	PS1	Capcom	Fighting	35

Financial performance

Best-selling video game consoles

Rank	Manufacturer	Platform	Type	Generation	Sales
					Japan	United States	Worldwide
1	Sony	PS1	Home	32-bit	4,660,000[28]	9,130,000[28]	22,500,000[28]
2	Nintendo	GB / GBC	Handheld	8-bit	4,730,000[29]	2,430,000[30]	12,990,000[29]
3	Nintendo	N64	Home	64-bit	1,210,000[29]	3,881,000[31]	7,860,000[29]
4	Nintendo	SNES	Home	16-bit	50,000[29]	200,000[31]	1,430,000[29]
5	Sega	DC	Home	128-bit	900,000[32]	—	900,000
6	Sega	GEN	Home	16-bit	—	659,000[31]	659,000+
7	Sega	SAT	Home	32-bit	150,000[32]	55,000[31]	205,000+
8	Nintendo	NES	Home	8-bit	50,000[29]	120[31]	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.

Best-selling home video games in Japan, United States and Germany

Rank	Title	Platform	Sales
			Japan	United States	Germany	Combined
1	Pokémon Red / Green / Blue / Pikachu	GB	3,288,391[a]	4,000,000[33]	—	7,288,391
2	Resident Evil 2 (Biohazard 2)	PS1	2,298,814[34]	1,194,840[35]	Unknown	3,493,654+
3	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	920,000[36]	2,500,000[37]	Unknown	3,420,000+
4	Gran Turismo	PS1	1,495,761[38]	1,431,483[35]	270,000+[39]	3,197,244+
5	Tekken 3	PS1	1,266,000[38]	1,113,749[35]	100,000+[40]	2,479,749+
6	GoldenEye 007	N64	< 17,676[41]	2,300,000[42]	Unknown	2,300,000+
7	Metal Gear Solid	PS1	765,000[36]	1,064,909[35]	—	1,829,909
8	Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland	GBC	1,660,000[36]	—	—	1,660,000
9	Crash Bandicoot: Warped (Crash Bandicoot 3)	PS1	649,000[36]	858,726[35]	Unknown	1,507,726+
10	Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back	PS1	395,884[38]	941,686[35]	Unknown	1,337,570+

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

Highest-grossing home video games in United States and Europe

Rank	Title	Platform(s)	Sales revenue
			United States	Europe[43]	Combined	Inflation
1	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	$150,000,000[37]	€39,000,000+ ($44,000,000+)	$194,000,000+	$370,000,000+
2	Gran Turismo	PS1	$58,568,520[35]	€66,000,000+ ($74,000,000+)	$132,568,520+	$255,745,191+
3	Resident Evil 2	PS1	$58,597,202[35]	€29,000,000+ ($33,000,000+)	$91,597,202+	$176,705,178+
4	GoldenEye 007	N64	$70,377,973+[35]	€19,000,000+ ($21,000,000+)	$91,377,973+	$176,282,251+
5	Tekken 3	PS1	$48,554,550[35]	€36,000,000+ ($40,000,000+)	$88,554,550+	$170,835,431+
6	Banjo-Kazooie	N64	$51,790,624[35]	€26,000,000+ ($29,000,000+)	$80,790,624+	$155,857,617+
7	Tomb Raider III		Unknown	€68,000,000+ ($74,000,000+)	$74,000,000+	$143,000,000+
8	Pokémon Red / Blue	GB	$70,000,000+[44]	—	$70,000,000+	$135,000,000+
9	Super Mario 64	N64	$39,184,953[35]	€21,000,000+ ($24,000,000+)	$63,184,953+	$121,893,553+
10	FIFA 99		Unknown	€50,000,000+ ($56,000,000+)	$56,000,000+	$108,000,000+

Japan

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

Rank	Title	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Sales	Ref
1	Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / Blue / Pikachu (Pokémon)	GB	Nintendo	RPG	3,288,391	[a]
2	Biohazard 2 (Resident Evil 2)	PS1	Capcom	Survival horror	2,298,814+	[34]
3	Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland	GBC	Enix	RPG	1,660,000	[36]
4	Gran Turismo	PS1	Sony	Racing (Sim)	1,495,761	[38]
5	Tekken 3	PS1	Namco	Fighting	1,266,000
6	Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters	PS1	Konami	DCCG	1,175,000	[36]
7	Parasite Eve	PS1	Squaresoft	Horror	1,049,000
8	Tales of Destiny	PS1	Namco	Action RPG	965,280+	[34]
9	The Legend of Zelda: Toki no Ocarina (Ocarina of Time)	N64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	920,000	[36]
10	Xenogears	PS1	Squaresoft	RPG	892,015	[38]

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	GB	Nintendo	RPG	4,000,000[33]	$70,000,000+[44]	$135,000,000+
2	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	2,500,000[37]	$150,000,000[37]	$290,000,000
3	GoldenEye 007	N64	Nintendo	FPS	2,300,000[42]	$70,377,973+[35]	$135,770,001+
4	Gran Turismo	PS1	Sony	Racing (Sim)	1,431,483[35]	$58,568,520[35]	$112,987,739
5	Resident Evil 2	PS1	Capcom	Survival horror	1,194,840[35]	$58,597,202[35]	$113,043,071
6	Tekken 3	PS1	Namco	Fighting	1,113,749[35]	$48,554,550[35]	$93,669,241
7	Madden NFL 99	PS1	EA Sports	Sports	1,073,777[35]	$44,130,798[35]	$85,135,139
8	Metal Gear Solid	PS1	Konami	Stealth	1,064,909[35]	$51,834,077[35]	$99,995,956
9	Banjo-Kazooie	N64	Nintendo	Platformer	1,054,349[35]	$51,790,624[35]	$99,912,129
10	Super Mario 64	N64	Nintendo	Platformer	946,411[35]	$39,184,953[35]	$75,593,838

Europe

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

Rank	Title	Platform(s)	Europe sales revenue[43]		France	Germany
			Sales revenue	Inflation	Rank	Sales
1	Tomb Raider III		€68,000,000+ ($74,000,000+)	$140,000,000+	Unknown	Unknown
2	Gran Turismo	PS1	€66,000,000+ ($74,000,000+)	$140,000,000+	1[45]	270,000+[39]
3	FIFA 99		€50,000,000+ ($56,000,000+)	$108,000,000+	Unknown	Unknown
4	World Cup 98		€48,000,000+ ($54,000,000+)	$104,000,000+	Unknown	339,000+[39]
5	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	€39,000,000+ ($44,000,000+)	$85,000,000+	Unknown	Unknown
	Tomb Raider II		€39,000,000+ ($44,000,000+)	$85,000,000+	Unknown	358,000+[39]
7	FIFA: Road to World Cup 98		€37,000,000+ ($41,000,000+)	$79,000,000+	Unknown	160,000+[39]
8	Tekken 3	PS1	€36,000,000+ ($40,000,000+)	$77,000,000+	Unknown	100,000+[40]
9	Colin McRae Rally		€30,000,000+ ($34,000,000+)	$66,000,000+	Unknown
10	Resident Evil 2	PS1	€29,000,000+ ($33,000,000+)	$64,000,000+

Australia

In Australia, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home console games of 1998.^[46]

Rank	Title	Platform	Developer	Publisher	Genre
1	GoldenEye 007	N64	Rare	Nintendo	FPS
2	Gran Turismo	PS1	Polys Entertainment	Sony	Racing (Sim)
3	Banjo-Kazooie	N64	Rare	Nintendo	Platformer
4	Crash Bandicoot (Platinum)	PS1	Naughty Dog	Sony
5	Mario Kart 64	N64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Racing (Kart)
6	Super Mario 64	N64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Platformer
7	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Action-adventure
8	Croc: Legend of the Gobbos	PS1	Argonaut Software	Fox Interactive	Platformer
9	Yoshi's Story	N64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo
10	Tekken 2 (Platinum)	PS1	Namco	Sony	Fighting

Highest-grossing arcade games in Japan

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

Rank	Gamest[20]		Game Machine[47]
	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	Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes	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

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.^[48][49]
• May:
  • 28 – Bill Williams, designer of Alley Cat, Necromancer, and Mind Walker, dies.
  • 28–30 – The fourth annual E3 is held in Atlanta, Georgia.^[50] 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.^[51]
• 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.

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

Games released in 1998

Release date	Title	Platforms	Genres	Ref
January 5	Robotron 64	N64	Shoot 'em up	[52]
January 8	No One Can Stop Mr. Domino!	PS1	Puzzle	[citation needed]
January 12	Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes	Arcade	Fighting	[citation needed]
January 21	Resident Evil 2	PS1	Survival horror	[53]
January 22	Machi	SAT	Visual novel	[54]
January 29	Bomberman World	PS1	Action, maze	[citation needed]
January 29	Bust a Groove	PS1	Music, Fighting	[citation needed]
January 29	Panzer Dragoon Saga	SAT	Action-adventure, RPG	[citation needed]
February 6	Skullmonkeys	PS1	Platformer	[citation needed]
February 9	James Bond 007	GB	Action-adventure	[citation needed]
February 11	Xenogears	PS1	RPG	[55]
February 23	Metal Slug 2	Arcade	Run and gun	[citation needed]
February 24	Gex: Enter the Gecko	PS1	Platformer	[citation needed]
February 26	Burning Rangers	SAT	Action, TPS	[citation needed]
February 26	Tenchu: Stealth Assassins	PS1	Action-adventure, Stealth	[citation needed]
February 26	X-Men vs. Street Fighter: EX Edition	PS1	Fighting	[citation needed]
February 28	1080° Snowboarding	N64	Racing	[56]
February 28	Battlezone	WIN	FPS, RTS	[citation needed]
February 28	ReBoot	PS1	Action	[57]
February 28	Star Wars: Rebellion	WIN	RTS	[citation needed]
March 9	Wario Land II	GB	Platformer	[citation needed]
March 20	Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers	Arcade	Fighting	[citation needed]
March 25	Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit	PS1, WIN	Racing	[58]
March 26	Dungeon Master Nexus	SAT	RPG	[citation needed]
March 26	The House of the Dead	SAT	Rail shooter	[citation needed]
March 26	The King of Fighters '97	SAT	Fighting	[citation needed]
March 26	Tekken 3	PS1	Fighting	[59]
March 29	Parasite Eve	PS1	Action RPG	[60]
March 31	Blasto	PS1	TPS	[citation needed]
March 31	StarCraft	WIN	RTS	[61]
March 31	Warhammer: Dark Omen	WIN	RTT	[citation needed]
April 4	Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die	SAT	Tactical RPG, Dating sim, Visual novel	[62]
April 7	Warhammer: Dark Omen	PS1	RTT	[63]
April 9	G-Darius	PS1	Shoot 'em up	[64]
April 14	GT 64: Championship Edition	N64	Racing	[citation needed]
April 17	Puyo Puyo Sun	WIN	Puzzle	[65]
April 29	Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers	NEO	Fighting	[citation needed]
April 29	Shining Force III Scenario 2 – Target: Child of God	SAT	Tactical RPG	[citation needed]
April 29	Super Tempo	SAT	Platformer	[66]
April 30	Bomberman Hero	N64	Platformer	[citation needed]
April 30	Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven	WIN	RPG	[citation needed]
May 7	Jazz Jackrabbit 2	WIN	Platformer	[67]
May 13	Redneck Rampage Rides Again	WIN	FPS	[68]
May 19	World Cup 98	PS1, WIN, N64	Sports (soccer)	[69][70]
May 21	Baroque	SAT	RPG	[citation needed]
May 22	Unreal	WIN	FPS	[71]
May 28	Radiant Silvergun	Arcade	Shoot 'em up	[citation needed]
May 28	The King of Fighters '97	PS1	Fighting	[citation needed]
June 4	Atelier Marie Plus	PS1	RPG	[citation needed]
June 4	International Superstar Soccer 98	N64	Sports (soccer)	[citation needed]
June 4	Vigilante 8	PS1	Vehicular combat	[72]
June 5	Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War	WIN	Space combat simulation	[73]
June 11	Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix	PS1	Fighting	[citation needed]
June 12	Wetrix	N64	Puzzle	[74]
June 24	Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines	WIN	RTT	[citation needed]
June 25	Castlevania: Symphony of the Night	SAT	Action-adventure	[citation needed]
June 29	Banjo-Kazooie	N64	Platformer	[75]
June 29	Street Fighter Alpha 3	Arcade	Fighting	[citation needed]
June 30	Deathtrap Dungeon	WIN	Action-adventure	[76]
June 30	Deep Fear	SAT	Survival horror	[citation needed]
June 30	N2O: Nitrous Oxide	PS1	Shoot 'em up	[77]
July 4	Heart of Darkness	PS1	Platformer	[citation needed]
July 9	Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix	SAT	Fighting	[citation needed]
July 14	F-Zero X	N64	Racing	[78]
July 14	WWF War Zone	PS1	Sports (wrestling)	[citation needed]
July 16	Brave Fencer Musashi	PS1	Action RPG	[citation needed]
July 16	Hopkins FBI	WIN	Adventure	[79]
July 23	The King of Fighters '98	Arcade	Fighting	[citation needed]
July 23	Radiant Silvergun	SAT	Shoot 'em up	[citation needed]
July 23	Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers	NEOCD	Fighting	[citation needed]
July 30	Soulcalibur	Arcade	Fighting	[citation needed]
July 30	Star Ocean: The Second Story	PS1	Action RPG	[citation needed]
July 31	Urban Assault	WIN	FPS, RTS	[citation needed]
July 31	F-1 World Grand Prix	N64	Racing	[citation needed]
July 31	Heart of Darkness	WIN	Platformer	[citation needed]
July 31	Iggy's Reckin' Balls	N64	Racing	[citation needed]
August 1	Gex: Enter the Gecko	N64	Platformer	[citation needed]
August 1	Pokémon Stadium	N64	RPG	[80]
August 6	Resident Evil: Director's Cut – Dual Shock Version	PS1	Survival horror	[citation needed]
August 6	Wachenröder	SAT	Tactical RPG	[citation needed]
August 11	WWF War Zone	N64	Sports (wrestling)	[citation needed]
August 21	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six	WIN	Tactical shooter	[citation needed]
August 25	Madden NFL 99	PS1	Sports (football)	[citation needed]
August 27	Black/Matrix	SAT	Tactical RPG	[citation needed]
September 3	Metal Gear Solid	PS1	Action-adventure, Stealth	[81]
September 9	NASCAR 99	N64	Racing	[82]
September 9	NFL Blitz	N64	Sports (football)	[83][82]
September 10	NFL Blitz	PS1	Sports (football)	[84]
September 10	Spyro the Dragon	PS1	Platformer	[85]
September 12	Pokémon Yellow	GB	RPG	[86]
September 17	Suikoden	SAT	RPG	[citation needed]
September 23	Digital Monster Version S: Digimon Tamers	SAT	Virtual pet	[citation needed]
September 23	Madden NFL 99	N64	Sports (football)	[82]
September 23	Shining Force III Scenario 3 – Bulzome Rising	SAT	Tactical RPG	[citation needed]
September 25	Dragon Warrior Monsters	GBC	RPG	[citation needed]
September 26	Dance Dance Revolution	Arcade	Music	[citation needed]
September 30	Body Harvest	N64	Action-adventure	[citation needed]
September 30	Caesar III	WIN	City builder	[citation needed]
September 30	Delta Force	WIN	Tactical shooter	[citation needed]
September 30	Gex: Enter the Gecko	WIN	Platformer	[citation needed]
September 30	NHL 99	PS1, WIN	Sports (hockey)	[citation needed]
September 30	Rogue Trip: Vacation 2012	PS1	Vehicular combat	[citation needed]
September 30	Shogo: Mobile Armor Division	WIN	FPS	[citation needed]
October 1	MediEvil	PS1	Action-adventure	[87]
October 1	NHL 99	N64	Sports (hockey)	[88]
October 2	NFL Blitz	WIN	Sports (football)	[89]
October 12	Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit	WIN	Racing	[citation needed]
October 14	Star Trek: The Next Generation: Klingon Honor Guard	WIN, MAC	FPS	[90]
October 21	Turok 2: Seeds of Evil	N64	FPS	[91]
October 21	Tetris DX	GBC	Puzzle	[92]
October 21	Wario Land II	GBC	Platformer	[93]
October 22	Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter	SAT	Fighting	[citation needed]
October 28	Grim Fandango	WIN	Adventure	[94]
October 28	Trespasser	WIN	Action-adventure	[95]
October 29	Fallout 2	WIN	RPG	[96]
October 30	The Fifth Element	WIN, PS1	Action-adventure	[97]
October 31	Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome	WIN	RTS	[citation needed]
October 31	Apocalypse	PS1	TPS	[citation needed]
October 31	Centipede	WIN	Shoot 'em up	[citation needed]
October 31	Crash Bandicoot: Warped	PS1	Platformer	[98]
October 31	FIFA 99	WIN	Sports (soccer)	[citation needed]
October 31	Glover	N64, WIN	Platformer	[citation needed]
October 31	Heretic II	WIN	Action-adventure	[citation needed]
October 31	NBA Live 99	PS1, WIN	Sports (basketball)	[99]
October 31	Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus	PS1, WIN	Platformer	[100]
October 31	Railroad Tycoon II	WIN	Business Sim	[citation needed]
November 1	Red Comrades Save the Galaxy	WIN	Adventure	[citation needed]
November 4	NBA Live 99	N64	Sports (basketball)	[101]
November 5	Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill	WIN	Adventure	[citation needed]
November 9	SiN	WIN	FPS	[102]
November 10	Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA	N64	Racing	[citation needed]
November 11	Sonic R	WIN	Racing	[citation needed]
November 14	The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard	WIN	Action-adventure	[103]
November 19	Half-Life	WIN	FPS	[104]
November 20	The Settlers III	WIN	RTS, City builder	[105]
November 20	Tomb Raider III	PS1, WIN	Action-adventure	[106]
November 21	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	Action-adventure	[107]
November 25	Blood II: The Chosen	WIN	FPS	[108]
November 27	Puyo Puyo Sun	GBC	Puzzle	[citation needed]
November 30	FIFA 99	PS1, N64	Sports (soccer)	[citation needed]
December 1	Gex: Enter the Gecko	GBC	Platformer	[citation needed]
December 1	Thief: The Dark Project	WIN	Stealth	[109]
December 3	Star Wars: Rogue Squadron	WIN	Action	[citation needed]
December 4	Magic and Mayhem	WIN	RTS	[citation needed]
December 7	Star Wars: Rogue Squadron	N64	Action	[citation needed]
December 12	Falcon 4.0	WIN	Air combat simulation	[citation needed]
December 12	Hey You, Pikachu!	N64	Virtual pet	[110]
December 12	The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	GBC	Action-adventure	[111]
December 17	Suikoden II	PS1	RPG	[citation needed]
December 18	Mario Party	N64	Party	[112]
December 18	Pokémon Trading Card Game	GBC	DCCG	[113]
December 18	StarCraft: Brood War	WIN	RTS	[114]
December 21	Baldur's Gate	WIN	RPG	[115]
December 21	South Park	N64	FPS	[116]
December 23	Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon 2	PS1	Roguelike	[117]
December 23	Sonic Adventure	DC	Platformer	[118]
December 23	Starsiege: Tribes	WIN	FPS	[119]
December 28	Myth II: Soulblighter	WIN	RTT	[120]
December 31	Akuji the Heartless	PS1	Action-adventure	[citation needed]

See also

• 1998 in games

Notes

1. Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / Blue (Pokémon Red / Green / Blue) sold 1,739,391 units.^[38] Pocket Monsters: Pikachu (Pokémon Yellow) sold 1,549,000 units.^[36]