1998 in video games

1998 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as F-Zero X, Marvel vs. Capcom, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Resident Evil 2, Metal Gear Solid, Glover, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Gex: Enter the Gecko, Fallout 2, Return to Krondor and Tomb Raider III, along with new titles such as Banjo-Kazooie, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, MediEvil, 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-ever 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.

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.^[2][3]
• May:
  • 28 – Bill Williams, designer of Alley Cat, Necromancer, and Mind Walker, dies.
  • 28–30 – The fourth annual E3 is held in Atlanta, Georgia.^[4] 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.^[5]
• 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

Dreamcast

Month	Day	System
April	14	Game Boy LightJP[6]
October	21	Game Boy ColorJP[7]
November	18	Game Boy ColorNA
November	23	Game Boy ColorEU
November	27	DreamcastJP[8]

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)	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	[9]
Japan Media Arts Festival					[10]
Digitiser	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time				[11]
Edge					[12]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)					[13]
Game Informer					[14]
GamePro					[15]
GameSpot					[16]
Interactive Achievement Awards					[17]
BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards	GoldenEye 007	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	First-person shooter	[18]
Video Software Dealers Association					[19][20]
Hyper	Final Fantasy VII	PlayStation, PC	Sony, Eidos	Role-playing	[21]
RPGFan					[22]
GameSpot	Grim Fandango	PC	LucasArts	Adventure	[23]
Gamest Awards	Psychic Force 2012	Arcade	Taito	Fighting	[24]
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	Metal Gear Solid	PlayStation	Konami	Stealth	[25]
RPGFan	Lunar 2: Eternal Blue	Sega Saturn	Game Arts	Role-playing	[22]

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)^[26] or 87.5% (GR)^[27][28]

Game	Publisher	Release Date	Platform	MC score	GR score
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	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[29]	90.28%[30]
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%
Thief: The Dark Project	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%
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	Nintendo	December 12, 1998	Game Boy Color	—	91.21%
International Superstar Soccer 98	Konami	June 4, 1998	Nintendo 64	91/100	89.15%
Crash Bandicoot: Warped	Sony Computer Entertainment	October 31, 1998	PlayStation	91/100	89.07%
Xenogears	Square	February 11, 1998	PlayStation	84/100	90.99%
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus	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%
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil	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%
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4	Namco	December 3, 1998	PlayStation	88/100[29]	88.16%[30]
NHL 99	EA Sports	September 30, 1998	Microsoft Windows	—	88.11%
Wario Land II	Nintendo	March 7, 1998	Game Boy Color	—	88.04%[30]
Myth II: Soulblighter	Bungie	December 28, 1998	Microsoft Windows	88/100	86.39%
Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit	Electronic Arts	March 25, 1998	PlayStation	88/100	85.63%
Starsiege: Tribes	Sierra Entertainment	December 23, 1998	Microsoft Windows	88/100	84.77%
Shogo: Mobile Armor Division	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.^[31]

Title	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Score (out of 40)
The Legend of Zelda: Toki no Ocarina (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
Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG (Panzer Dragon Saga)	Sega Saturn	Sega	Role-playing	35
Neo Atlas	PlayStation	Artdink	Strategy	35
Shiritsu Justice Gakuen: Legion of Heroes (Rival Schools)	PlayStation	Capcom	Fighting	35
Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland	Game Boy Color	Enix	Role-playing	35
Beatmania	PlayStation	Konami	Rhythm	35
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4	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
					Japan	United States	Worldwide
1	Sony	PlayStation	Home	32-bit	4,660,000[32]	9,130,000[32]	22,500,000[32]
2	Nintendo	Game Boy / Game Boy Color	Handheld	8-bit	4,730,000[33]	2,430,000[34]	12,990,000[33]
3	Nintendo	Nintendo 64	Home	64-bit	1,210,000[33]	3,881,000[35]	7,860,000[33]
4	Nintendo	Super NES / Super Famicom	Home	16-bit	50,000[33]	200,000[35]	1,430,000[33]
5	Sega	Dreamcast	Home	128-bit	900,000[36]	—	900,000
6	Sega	Sega Genesis (Mega Drive)	Home	16-bit	—	659,000[35]	659,000+
7	Sega	Sega Saturn	Home	32-bit	150,000[36]	55,000[35]	205,000+
8	Nintendo	NES / Famicom	Home	8-bit	50,000[33]	120[35]	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	Game Boy	3,288,391[a]	4,000,000[37]	—	7,288,391
2	Resident Evil 2 (Biohazard 2)	PlayStation	2,298,814[38]	1,194,840[39]	Un­known	3,493,654+
3	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo 64	920,000[40]	2,500,000[41]	Un­known	3,420,000+
4	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	1,495,761[42]	1,431,483[39]	270,000+[43]	3,197,244+
5	Tekken 3	PlayStation	1,266,000[42]	1,113,749[39]	100,000+[44]	2,479,749+
6	GoldenEye 007	Nintendo 64	< 17,676[45]	2,300,000[46]	Un­known	2,300,000+
7	Metal Gear Solid	PlayStation	765,000[40]	1,064,909[39]	—	1,829,909
8	Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland	Game Boy Color	1,660,000[40]	—	—	1,660,000
9	Crash Bandicoot: Warped (Crash Bandicoot 3)	PlayStation	649,000[40]	858,726[39]	Un­known	1,507,726+
10	Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back	PlayStation	395,884[42]	941,686[39]	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[47]	Combined	Inflation
1	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo 64	$150,000,000[41]	€39,000,000+ ($44,000,000+)	$194,000,000+	$370,000,000+
2	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	$58,568,520[39]	€66,000,000+ ($74,000,000+)	$132,568,520+	$255,745,191+
3	Resident Evil 2	PlayStation	$58,597,202[39]	€29,000,000+ ($33,000,000+)	$91,597,202+	$176,705,178+
4	GoldenEye 007	Nintendo 64	$70,377,973+[39]	€19,000,000+ ($21,000,000+)	$91,377,973+	$176,282,251+
5	Tekken 3	PlayStation	$48,554,550[39]	€36,000,000+ ($40,000,000+)	$88,554,550+	$170,835,431+
6	Banjo-Kazooie	Nintendo 64	$51,790,624[39]	€26,000,000+ ($29,000,000+)	$80,790,624+	$155,857,617+
7	Tomb Raider III	Multi-platform	Un­known	€68,000,000+ ($74,000,000+)	$74,000,000+	$143,000,000+
8	Pokémon Red / Blue	Game Boy	$70,000,000+[48]	—	$70,000,000+	$135,000,000+
9	Super Mario 64	Nintendo 64	$39,184,953[39]	€21,000,000+ ($24,000,000+)	$63,184,953+	$121,893,553+
10	FIFA 99	Multi-platform	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)	Game Boy	Nintendo	Role-playing	3,288,391	[a]
2	Biohazard 2 (Resident Evil 2)	PlayStation	Capcom	Survival horror	2,298,814+	[38]
3	Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland	Game Boy Color	Enix	Role-playing	1,660,000	[40]
4	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	Sony	Racing simulation	1,495,761	[42]
5	Tekken 3	PlayStation	Namco	Fighting	1,266,000
6	Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters	PlayStation	Konami	Card battle	1,175,000	[40]
7	Parasite Eve	PlayStation	Squaresoft	Horror	1,049,000
8	Tales of Destiny	PlayStation	Namco	Action role-playing	965,280+	[38]
9	The Legend of Zelda: Toki no Ocarina (Ocarina of Time)	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	920,000	[40]
10	Xenogears	PlayStation	Squaresoft	Role-playing	892,015	[42]

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[37]	$70,000,000+[48]	$135,000,000+
2	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	2,500,000[41]	$150,000,000[41]	$290,000,000
3	GoldenEye 007	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Shooter	2,300,000[46]	$70,377,973+[39]	$135,770,001+
4	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	Sony	Racing simulation	1,431,483[39]	$58,568,520[39]	$112,987,739
5	Resident Evil 2	PlayStation	Capcom	Survival horror	1,194,840[39]	$58,597,202[39]	$113,043,071
6	Tekken 3	PlayStation	Namco	Fighting	1,113,749[39]	$48,554,550[39]	$93,669,241
7	Madden NFL 99	PlayStation	EA Sports	Sports	1,073,777[39]	$44,130,798[39]	$85,135,139
8	Metal Gear Solid	PlayStation	Konami	Stealth	1,064,909[39]	$51,834,077[39]	$99,995,956
9	Banjo-Kazooie	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Platformer	1,054,349[39]	$51,790,624[39]	$99,912,129
10	Super Mario 64	Nintendo 64	Nintendo	Platformer	946,411[39]	$39,184,953[39]	$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[47]		France	Germany
			Sales revenue	Inflation	Rank	Sales
1	Tomb Raider III	Multi-platform	€68,000,000+ ($74,000,000+)	$140,000,000+	Un­known	Un­known
2	Gran Turismo	PlayStation	€66,000,000+ ($74,000,000+)	$140,000,000+	1[49]	270,000+[43]
3	FIFA 99	Multi-platform	€50,000,000+ ($56,000,000+)	$108,000,000+	Un­known	Un­known
4	World Cup 98	Multi-platform	€48,000,000+ ($54,000,000+)	$104,000,000+	Un­known	339,000+[43]
5	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo 64	€39,000,000+ ($44,000,000+)	$85,000,000+	Un­known	Un­known
	Tomb Raider II	Multi-platform	€39,000,000+ ($44,000,000+)	$85,000,000+	Un­known	358,000+[43]
7	FIFA: Road to World Cup 98	Multi-platform	€37,000,000+ ($41,000,000+)	$79,000,000+	Un­known	160,000+[43]
8	Tekken 3	PlayStation	€36,000,000+ ($40,000,000+)	$77,000,000+	Un­known	100,000+[44]
9	Colin McRae Rally	Multi-platform	€30,000,000+ ($34,000,000+)	$66,000,000+	Un­known
10	Resident Evil 2	PlayStation	€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.^[50]

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	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo 64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Action-adventure
8	Croc: Legend of the Gobbos	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[24]		Game Machine[51]
	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

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.

Video game platforms

GB Game Boy GBC Game Boy Color N64 Nintendo 64 Neo Neo Geo NeoCD Neo Geo CD PS1 PlayStation Sat Saturn DC Dreamcast Win Windows

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	[52]
	8	No One Can Stop Mr. Domino!	PS1	Puzzle	[citation needed]
	12	Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes	Arcade	Fighting	[citation needed]
	21	Resident Evil 2	PS1	Survival horror	[53]
	22	Machi	Sega Saturn	Visual novel	[54]
	29	Bomberman World	PS1	Action, maze	[citation needed]
		Bust a Groove	PS1	Music, fighting	[citation needed]
		Panzer Dragoon Saga	Sat	Action-adventure, role-playing	[citation needed]
F E B R U A R Y	6	Skullmonkeys	PS1	Platform	[citation needed]
	9	James Bond 007	GB	Action-adventure	[citation needed]
	11	Xenogears	PS1	Role-playing	[55]
	24	Gex: Enter the Gecko	PS1	Platform	[citation needed]
	26	Burning Rangers	Sat	Action, third-person shooter	[citation needed]
		Tenchu: Stealth Assassins	PS1	Action-adventure, stealth	[citation needed]
		X-Men vs. Street Fighter: EX Edition	PS1	Fighting	[citation needed]
	28	1080° Snowboarding	N64	Racing	[56]
		Battlezone	Win	First-person shooter, real-time strategy	[citation needed]
		ReBoot	PS1	Action	[57]
		Star Wars: Rebellion	Win	Real-time strategy	[citation needed]
M A R C H	9	Wario Land II	GB	Platform	[citation needed]
	19	Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War	Win	Space combat simulation	[citation needed]
	20	Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers	Arcade	Fighting	[citation needed]
	25	Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit	PS1, Win	Racing	[citation needed][58]
	26	Dungeon Master Nexus	Sat	Role-playing	[citation needed]
		Redneck Rampage Rides Again	Win	First-person shooter	[citation needed]
		The House of the Dead	Sat	Rail shooter	[citation needed]
		The King of Fighters '97	Sat	Fighting	[citation needed]
		Tekken 3	PS1	Fighting	[59]
	29	Parasite Eve	PS1	Action role-playing	[60]
	31	Blasto	PS1	Third-person shooter	[citation needed]
		StarCraft	Win	Real-time strategy	[61]
		Warhammer: Dark Omen	Win	Real-time tactics	[citation needed]
		World Cup 98	PS1, Win	Sports (soccer)	[citation needed]

April–June

Month	Day	Title	Platform(s)	Genre(s)	Source(s)
A P R I L	4	Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die	Sat	Tactical role-playing, dating sim, visual novel	[62]
	7	Warhammer: Dark Omen	PS1	Real-time tactics	[63]
	9	G-Darius	PS1	Shoot 'em up	[64]
	14	GT 64: Championship Edition	N64	Racing	[citation needed]
	17	Puyo Puyo Sun	Win	Puzzle	[65]
	29	Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers	Neo	Fighting	[citation needed]
		Shining Force III Scenario 2 – Target: Child of God	Sat	Tactical role-playing	[citation needed]
		Super Tempo	Sat	Platform	[66]
	30	Bomberman Hero	N64	Platform	[citation needed]
		Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven	Win	Role-playing	[citation needed]
		World Cup 98	Win	Sports (soccer)	[citation needed]
M A Y	7	Jazz Jackrabbit 2	Win	Platform	[67]
	18	World Cup 98	N64	Sports (soccer)	[citation needed]
	21	Baroque	Sat	Role-playing	[citation needed]
	22	Unreal	Win	First-person shooter	[68]
	28	Radiant Silvergun	Arcade	Shoot 'em up	[citation needed]
		The King of Fighters '97	PS1	Fighting	[citation needed]
J U N E	4	Atelier Marie Plus	PS1	Role-playing	[citation needed]
		International Superstar Soccer 98	N64	Sports (soccer)	[citation needed]
		Vigilante 8	PS1	Vehicular combat	[69]
	11	Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix	PS1	Fighting	[citation needed]
	12	Wetrix	N64	Puzzle	[70]
	24	Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines	Win	Real-time tactics	[citation needed]
	25	Castlevania: Symphony of the Night	Sat	Action-adventure	[citation needed]
	29	Banjo-Kazooie	N64	Platform	[71]
		Street Fighter Alpha 3	Arcade	Fighting
	30	Deathtrap Dungeon	Win	Action-adventure	[72]
		Deep Fear	Sat	Survival horror	[citation needed]
		N2O: Nitrous Oxide	PS1	Shoot 'em up	[73]

July–September

Month	Day	Title	Platform(s)	Genre(s)	Source(s)
J U L Y	4	Heart of Darkness	PS1	Platform	[citation needed]
	9	Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix	Sat	Fighting	[citation needed]
	14	F-Zero X	N64	Racing	[74]
		WWF War Zone	PS1	Sports (professional wrestling)	[citation needed]
	16	Brave Fencer Musashi	PS1	Action role-playing	[citation needed]
		Hopkins FBI	Win	Adventure	[75]
	23	Radiant Silvergun	Sat	Shoot 'em up	[citation needed]
		Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers	NeoCD	Fighting	[citation needed]
	30	Star Ocean: The Second Story	PS1	Action role-playing	[citation needed]
	31	Urban Assault	Win	First-person shooter, real-time strategy	[citation needed]
		F-1 World Grand Prix	N64	Racing	[citation needed]
		Heart of Darkness	Win	Platform	[citation needed]
		Iggy's Reckin' Balls	N64	Racing	[citation needed]
A U G U S T	1	Gex: Enter the Gecko	N64	Platform	[citation needed]
		Pokémon Stadium	N64	Role-playing	[76]
	6	Resident Evil: Director's Cut – Dual Shock Version	PS1	Survival horror	[citation needed]
		Wachenröder	Sat	Tactical role-playing	[citation needed]
	11	WWF War Zone	N64	Sports (professional wrestling)	[citation needed]
	21	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six	Win	Tactical shooter	[citation needed]
	25	Madden NFL 99	PS1	Sports (football)	[citation needed]
	27	Black/Matrix	Sat	Tactical role-playing	[citation needed]
S E P T E M B E R	3	Metal Gear Solid	PS1	Action-adventure, stealth	[77]
	9	NASCAR 99	N64	Racing	[78]
		NFL Blitz	N64	Sports (football)	[79][78]
	10	NFL Blitz	PS1	Sports (football)	[80]
		Spyro the Dragon	PS1	Platform	[81]
	12	Pokémon Yellow	GB	Role-playing	[82]
	17	Suikoden	Sat	Role-playing	[citation needed]
	23	Digital Monster Version S: Digimon Tamers	Sat	Virtual pet	[citation needed]
		Madden NFL 99	N64	Sports (football)	[78]
		Shining Force III Scenario 3 – Bulzome Rising	Sat	Tactical role-playing	[citation needed]
	25	Dragon Warrior Monsters	GBC	Role-playing	[citation needed]
	26	Dance Dance Revolution	Arcade	Music	[citation needed]
	30	Body Harvest	N64	Action-adventure	[citation needed]
		Caesar III	Win	City-building	[citation needed]
		Delta Force	Win	Tactical shooter	[citation needed]
		Gex: Enter the Gecko	Win	Platform	[citation needed]
		NHL 99	PS1, Win	Sports (ice hockey)	[citation needed]
		Rogue Trip: Vacation 2012	PS1	Vehicular combat	[citation needed]
		Shogo: Mobile Armor Division	Win	First-person shooter	[citation needed]

October–December

Month	Day	Title	Platform(s)	Genre(s)	Source(s)
O C T O B E R	1	MediEvil	PS1	Action-adventure	[83]
		NHL 99	N64	Sports (ice hockey)	[84]
	2	NFL Blitz	Win	Sports (football)	[85]
	12	Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit	Win	Racing	[citation needed]
	14	Star Trek: The Next Generation: Klingon Honor Guard	Win, Mac	First-person shooter	[86]
	21	Turok 2: Seeds of Evil	N64	First-person shooter	[87]
		Tetris DX	GBC	Puzzle	[88]
		Wario Land II	GBC	Platform	[89]
	22	Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter	Sat	Fighting	[citation needed]
	28	Grim Fandango	Win	Adventure	[90]
		Trespasser	Win	Action-adventure	[91]
	29	Fallout 2	Win	Role-playing	[92]
	30	The Fifth Element	Win, PS1	Action-adventure game	[93]
	31	Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome	Win	Real-time strategy	[citation needed]
		Apocalypse	PS1	Third-person shooter	[citation needed]
		Centipede	Win	Shoot 'em up	[citation needed]
		Crash Bandicoot: Warped	PS1	Platform	[94]
		FIFA 99	Win	Sports (soccer)	[citation needed]
		Glover	N64, Win	Platform	[citation needed]
		Heretic II	Win	Action-adventure	[citation needed]
		NBA Live 99	PS1, Win	Sports (basketball)	[95]
		Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus	PS1, Win	Platform	[96]
		Railroad Tycoon II	Win	Business simulation	[citation needed]
N O V E M B E R	1	Red Comrades Save the Galaxy	Win	Adventure	[citation needed]
	4	NBA Live 99	N64	Sports (basketball)	[97]
	5	Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill	Win	Adventure	[citation needed]
	9	SiN	Win	First-person shooter	[98]
	10	Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA	N64	Racing	[citation needed]
	11	Sonic R	Win	Racing	[citation needed]
	14	The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard	Win	Action-adventure	[99]
	19	Half-Life	Win	First-person shooter	[100]
	20	The Settlers III	Win	Real-time strategy, city-building	[101]
		Tomb Raider III	PS1, Win	Action-adventure	[102]
	21	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	Action-adventure	[103]
	25	Blood II: The Chosen	Win	First-person shooter	[104]
	27	Puyo Puyo Sun	GBC	Puzzle	[citation needed]
	30	FIFA 99	PS1, N64	Sports (soccer)	[citation needed]
D E C E M B E R	1	Gex: Enter the Gecko	GBC	Platform	[citation needed]
		Thief: The Dark Project	Win	Stealth	[105]
	3	Star Wars: Rogue Squadron	Win	Action	[citation needed]
	4	Magic and Mayhem	Win	Real-time strategy	[citation needed]
	7	Star Wars: Rogue Squadron	N64	Action	[citation needed]
	12	Falcon 4.0	Win	Air combat simulation	[citation needed]
		Hey You, Pikachu!	N64	Virtual pet	[106]
		The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	GBC	Action-adventure	[107]
	17	Suikoden II	PS1	Role-playing	[citation needed]
	18	Mario Party	N64	Party	[108]
		Pokémon Trading Card Game	GBC	Digital collectible card game	[109]
		StarCraft: Brood War	Win	Real-time strategy	[110]
	21	Baldur's Gate	Win	Role-playing	[111]
		South Park	N64	First-person shooter	[112]
	23	Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon 2	PS1	Roguelike	[113]
		Sonic Adventure	DC	Platform	[114]
		Starsiege: Tribes	Win	First-person shooter	[115]
	28	Myth II: Soulblighter	Win	Real-time tactics	[116]
	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.^[42] Pocket Monsters: Pikachu (Pokémon Yellow) sold 1,549,000 units.^[40]