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, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Fallout 2, and Tomb Raider III, along with new titles such as Banjo-Kazooie, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, 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. 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
Hardware releases
This is a list of all the game-related hardware released in 1998.
The Fifth generation of video game consoles started off this year with the launch of Sega's Dreamcast in Japan.
Nintendo released the Game Boy Color, the successor to the original Game Boy. Date System April 14 Game Boy Light October 21 Game Boy Color November 18 Game Boy Color November 23 Game Boy Color November 27 DreamcastGame Boy Color
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 Zelda no Densetsu: Toki no Ocarina (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) N64 Nintendo Action-adventure Japan Media Arts Festival Digitiser The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Edge Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) Game Informer GamePro GamePro, issue 130 (July 1999), pages 44-46GameSpot Interactive Achievement Awards BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards GoldenEye 007 N64 Nintendo FPS Video Software Dealers Association Hyper Final Fantasy VII PS1, WIN Sony, Eidos RPG RPGFanComputer Gaming World Premier Awards Half-Life WIN Sierra Studios FPS GameSpot Grim Fandango WIN LucasArts Adventure Gamest Awards Psychic Force 2012 Arcade Taito Fighting Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Metal Gear Solid PS1 Konami Stealth "1998 OPM Editors' Awards", Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, volume 2, issue 5, February 1999, pages 92-99RPGFan Lunar 2: Eternal Blue SAT Game Arts RPG
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) or 87.5% (GR) 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 90.28% 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 88.16% NHL 99 EA Sports September 30, 1998 WIN 88.11% Wario Land II Nintendo March 7, 1998 GBC 88.04% 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. TitlePlatformPublisherGenreScore (out of 40)The Legend of Zelda: Toki no Ocarina (Ocarina of Time)N64NintendoAction-adventure40Tekken 3PS1NamcoFighting39Sonic AdventureDCSegaPlatformer38Biohazard 2 (Resident Evil 2)PS1CapcomSurvival horror37Metal Gear SolidPS1KonamiStealth37Virtua Fighter 3tbDCSegaFighting36Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG (Panzer Dragon Saga)SATSegaRPG35Neo AtlasPS1ArtdinkStrategy35Shiritsu Justice Gakuen: Legion of Heroes (Rival Schools)PS1CapcomFighting35Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no WonderlandGBCEnixRPG35BeatmaniaPS1KonamiRhythm35R4: Ridge Racer Type 4PS1NamcoRacing35Crash Bandicoot 3 (Warped)PS1SonyPlatformer35Street Fighter Zero 3 (Street Fighter Alpha 3)PS1CapcomFighting35
Financial performance
Best-selling video game consoles RankManufacturerPlatformTypeGenerationSalesJapanUnited StatesWorldwide1SonyPS1Home5th4,660,0009,130,00022,500,0002NintendoGB / GBCHandheld4th4,730,0002,430,00012,990,0003NintendoN64Home5th1,210,0007,860,0004NintendoSNESHome4th50,000,0001,430,0005SegaDCHome6th900,000900,0006SegaGENHome4th,000659,000+7SegaSATHome5th150,000,000205,000+8NintendoNESHome3rd50,00050,120
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 4,000,000 2 Resident Evil 2 (Biohazard 2) PS1 2,298,814 1,194,840 + 3 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time N64 920,000 2,500,000 + 4 Gran Turismo PS1 1,495,761 1,431,483 270,000+ + 5 Tekken 3 PS1 1,266,000 1,113,749 100,000+ + 6 GoldenEye 007 N64 < 17,676 2,300,000 2,300,000+ 7 Metal Gear Solid PS1 765,000 1,064,909 8 Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland GBC 1,660,000 1,660,000 9 Crash Bandicoot: Warped (Crash Bandicoot 3) PS1 649,000 858,726 + 10 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back PS1 395,884 941,686 +
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 Combined Inflation 1 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time N64 $150,000,000 €39,000,000+ (+) + $+ 2 Gran Turismo PS1 $58,568,520 €66,000,000+ (+) + $+ 3 Resident Evil 2 PS1 $58,597,202 €29,000,000+ (+) + $+ 4 GoldenEye 007 N64 $70,377,973+ €19,000,000+ (+) + $+ 5 Tekken 3 PS1 $48,554,550 €36,000,000+ (+) + $+ 6 Banjo-Kazooie N64 $51,790,624 €26,000,000+ (+) + $+ 7 Tomb Raider III €68,000,000+ (+) $74,000,000+ $+ 8 Pokémon Red / Blue GB $70,000,000+ $70,000,000+ $+ 9 Super Mario 64 N64 $39,184,953 €21,000,000+ (+) + $+ 10 FIFA 99 €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) GB NintendoRPG 3,288,391 2 Biohazard 2 (Resident Evil 2) PS1 CapcomSurvival horror 2,298,814+ 3 Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland GBC EnixRPG 1,660,000 4 Gran Turismo PS1 Sony Racing (Sim) 1,495,761 5 Tekken 3 PS1 NamcoFighting 1,266,000 6 Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters PS1 Konami DCCG 1,175,000 7 Parasite Eve PS1 SquaresoftHorror 1,049,000 8 Tales of Destiny PS1 NamcoAction RPG 965,280+ 9 The Legend of Zelda: Toki no Ocarina (Ocarina of Time) N64 Nintendo Action-adventure 920,000 10 Xenogears PS1 SquaresoftRPG 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 PublisherGenre Sales Revenue Inflation 1 Pokémon Red / Blue GB NintendoRPG 4,000,000 $70,000,000+ $+ 2 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time N64 Nintendo Action-adventure 2,500,000 $150,000,000 $ 3 GoldenEye 007 N64 Nintendo FPS 2,300,000 $70,377,973+ $+ 4 Gran Turismo PS1 Sony Racing (Sim) 1,431,483 $58,568,520 $ 5 Resident Evil 2 PS1 CapcomSurvival horror 1,194,840 $58,597,202 $ 6 Tekken 3 PS1 Namco Fighting 1,113,749 $48,554,550 $ 7 Madden NFL 99 PS1 EA Sports Sports 1,073,777 $44,130,798 $ 8 Metal Gear Solid PS1 Konami Stealth 1,064,909 $51,834,077 $ 9 Banjo-Kazooie N64 NintendoPlatformer 1,054,349 $51,790,624 $ 10 Super Mario 64 N64 NintendoPlatformer 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 €68,000,000+ (+) $+ 2 Gran Turismo PS1 €66,000,000+ (+) $+ 1 270,000+ 3 FIFA 99 €50,000,000+ (+) $+ 4 World Cup 98 €48,000,000+ (+) $+ 339,000+ 5 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time N64 €39,000,000+ (+) $+ Tomb Raider II €39,000,000+ (+) $+ 358,000+ 7 FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 €37,000,000+ (+) $+ 160,000+ 8 Tekken 3 PS1 €36,000,000+ (+) $+ 100,000+ 9 Colin McRae Rally €30,000,000+ (+) $+ colspan="2" rowspan="2" 10 Resident Evil 2 PS1 €29,000,000+ (+) $+
Australia In Australia, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home console games of 1998.
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.