https://linkto.run/p/T70EBGBI

Between NA, EU and JP, which region was the best this year? Which one produced the most great games, or perhaps those few quality titles that still stand out from the rest to you?

Reference (based on user ratings at various database sites, original release dates):
Text: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ZldIgjpMG4g_P-oHK2YNnmZiUilcW4nvfO_agoBzGM/edit?usp=sharing
Visualized: https://minirevver.weebly.com/good-retro-games-by-region-of-origin.html#

Other good resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRQ1YhmzT3o&t=2m2s

Hard to pick this year, NA has Duke 3D, Blood, C&C Red Alert, Quake 2, Dark Forces 2, Shadow Warrior. EU has Dungeon Keeper, Diddy Kong Racing, Goldeneye, Carmageddon ,Tomb Raider 2, Theme Hospital. Going with EU as TR2 was my first PC game.

Japan had really good games this year. Final fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy VII Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Breath of Fire III.
NA produced some really good games as well: Age of Empires, Quake II, Turok.
EU on the other hand has only few, but really good games. Worms 2, The Settlers II, Broken Sword II, GTA and Tomb Raider II.
At this point in time I was a full PC gamer, and my most played game is probably Age of Empires. But Tomb Raider II was great as well. This is quite the tough decision, only good games from all regions. Truly the mid 90s were fantastic for gaming all around the world.

Great year and there are still various games I need to play/beat. Went with JP in the end though. Rough ranking of my faves:
Star Fox 64 - N64 (Nintendo EAD)
Final Fantasy VII - PS1 (SquareSoft/Square)
Gran Turismo - PS1 (Polyphony Digital (Sony))
Super Bomberman 5 - SNES (Hudson)
Sonic Jam - SAT (collection w/ 3D hub world, some minor differences to the MD games, Sonic Team)
Bulk Slash - SAT (CAProduction)
Elevator Action Returns/Elevator Action II - SAT (1995 ARC port, Taito)
Cotton 2 - SAT (Success)
G Darius - ARC (PS1 1998/WIN 2000, Taito)
Soukyuugurentai (Terra Diver) - SAT (1996 ARC port w/ added stage attack mode, Raizing & Outback Pty)
Tekken 3 - ARC (Namco)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - PS1 (Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo)
Ace Combat 2 - PS1 (Namco)
Shining Force III: Scenario 1 - SAT (Sonic! Software Planning & Camelot Software Planning)
Alundra - PS1 (Matrix Software)
Mega Man X4 - PS1/SAT (Capcom)
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile - PS1 (Namco)
Bubble Symphony/Bubble Bobble 2 - SAT (1994 ARC port, Ving, originally by Taito)
Thunder Force V - SAT (PS1 1998 - some differences, TechnoSoft)
Armored Core - PS1 (From Software)
Assault Suit Leynos 2 - SAT (NCS)
Einhänder/Einhander - PS1 (SquareSoft/Square)
Mega Man 8 - SAT (1996 PS1 port w/ some differences, Capcom)
Metal Slug - PS1/SAT (1996 ARC/NG port, Ukiyotei PS1/SNK SAT, originally by SNK)
Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus - PS1/SAT (Konami)
Tomba! - PS1 (Whoopee Camp)
Mystical Ninja starring Goemon - N64 (KCEO)
Mega Man Legends - PS1 (Capcom)
Langrisser I & II - PS1 (Remakes, NCS)
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together - PS1 (1995 SNES remaster/1997 SAT port, Riverhillsoft, originally by Quest)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park - ARC (Sega AM3 & Sega AM4)
Final Fantasy Tactics - PS1 (SquareSoft/Square)
Ganpuru: Gunman's Proof/Gunple: Gunman's Proof - SNES (Lenar)
Silhouette Mirage - SAT (PS1 1999, Treasure)
Darkstalkers 3/Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire - ARC (Capcom)
Bomberman 64 - N64 (Hudson Soft)
Princess Crown - SAT (Atlus)
Intelligent Qube - PS1 (G-Artists/Epics)
Ghost in the Shell - PS1 (Exact)
Marvel Super Heroes - SAT (1995 ARC port, Capcom)
Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter - ARC (Capcom)
Dead or Alive - SAT (1996 ARC port w/ added tournament and training modes, Team Ninja)
Resident Evil: Director's Cut - PS1 (Capcom)
Resident Evil - SAT (1996 PS1 port w/ some differences, NexTech (previously GAU), originally Capcom)
Resident Evil - WIN (1996 PS1 port, Capcom)
Kirby's Star Stacker - GB (HAL Labs)
Puyo Puyo Sun Ketteiban - PS1 (differences?, Compile)
Puyo Puyo Sun/Puyo Puyo Sun 64 - SAT/N64 (1996 ARC port, any differences on N64?, Compile)
X-Men vs. Street Fighter - SAT (1996 ARC port, Capcom)
Real Bout: Fatal Fury Special/Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special - NG/SAT (SNK)
Samurai Spirits: Amakusa Kourin Special/Samurai Shodown IV - PS1 (1996 ARC port which incl Cham Cham as a playable char, SNK)
Samurai Spirits: Amakusa Kourin/Samurai Shodown IV - SAT (1996 ARC port, SNK)
The King of Fighters '97 - ARC (SNK)
Tobal 2 - PS1 (DreamFactory)
Waku Waku 7 - SAT (1996 ARC port, SunSoft)
BS Zelda no Densetsu: Inishie no Sekiban - SNES (Satellaview, Nintendo)
Game & Watch Gallery - GB (Nintendo)
Game Boy Gallery 2 - GB (TOSE, originally by Nintendo)
Yoshi's Story - N64 (Nintendo EAD)
Tamagotchi - GB (Tom Create)

Die Hard Arcade/Dynamite Deka - SAT (1996 ARC port, Sega AM1, Sega Technical Institute & Fox Interactive)
Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru - SAT (K.K. Time Warner Interactive/Tengen Limited (Japanese subsidiary))
Twisted Metal 2 - WIN (1996 port, Sony Interactive Studios America & SingleTrac)


Age of Empires - WIN (Ensemble Studios)
Quake II - WIN (id Software)
Fallout - DOS/WIN (Black Isle Studios)
Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II - WIN (LucasArts)
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee - DOS/WIN/PS1 (Digital Dialect PC/Oddworld Inhabitants PS1)
Need for Speed II SE - WIN (EA Seattle)
Need for Speed II - WIN (EA Seattle)
Command & Conquer: Special Gold Edition - WIN (1996 DOS port, includes Covert Ops Expansion, Westwood Studios)
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain - WIN (1996 PS1 port, Silicon Knights - Canada)
NetStorm: Islands at War - WIN (Titanic Entertainment (?))
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back - PS1 (Naughty Dog)
The Lost Vikings 2/Lost Vikings II - SNES (some differences, Blizzard Entertainment)
MDK - DOS/WIN/PS1 (Shiny Entertainment PC/Neversoft Entertainment PS1)
Blade Runner - WIN (Westwood Studios)
Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Price of Loyalty Expansion - DOS/WIN (Cyberlore Studios, original game by New World Computing)
Claw - WIN (Monolith Productions)
Blood - DOS (Monolith Productions)
Doom 64 - N64 (some differences, Midway Studios - San Diego, original game by id Software)
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter - N64 (Iguana Entertainment)
Diablo: Hellfire Expansion - WIN (Synergistic Software, original game by Blizzard)
Ultima Online - WIN (Origin Systems)
Nuclear Strike - WIN (Electronic Arts)
Myth: The Fallen Lords - WIN (Bungie)
FIFA: Road to World Cup '98 - MD (different, Extended Play Productions)
FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 - N64/PS1/WIN (EA Canada N64/PS1, EA Sports WIN)
Mass Destruction - DOS/SAT
NHL '98 - MD/SNES (different, High Score Productions MD/Al Baker and Associates SNES)
NHL 98 - WIN (EA Sports)
Total Annihilation - WIN (Cavedog Entertainment)
Shadow Warrior - DOS/MAC (3D Realms)

Die Hard Arcade/Dynamite Deka - SAT (1996 ARC port, Sega AM1, Sega Technical Institute & Fox Interactive)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park - MD (Appaloosa Interactive (previously Novotrade))
Three Dirty Dwarves - SAT (Appaloosa Interactive (previously Novotrade))


Dungeon Keeper - DOS/WIN (Bullfrog Productions)
Blast Corps - N64 (Rare)
The Settlers II: Gold Edition - DOS (incl Settlers II Mission CD, world atlas, 100+ fan made maps, Blue Byte)
Diddy Kong Racing - N64 (Rare)
Ignition - DOS/WIN (Unique Development Studios - Sweden)
Worms 2 - WIN (Team17)
Tomb Raider II - PS1/WIN (MAC 1998, Core Design)
Colony Wars - PS1 (Psygnosis)
Theme Hospital - DOS/WIN (Bullfrog Productions)
GoldenEye 007 - N64 (Rare)
Grand Theft Auto - DOS/WIN (DMA Design)
Micro Machines V3 - PS1 (WIN 1998, Codemasters)
Moto Racer - WIN (Delphine Software International)
Carmageddon - DOS/WIN (Stainless Games/Stainless Studios)
Lucky Luke - SNES (Infogrames)