Overview of the events of 1997 in video games
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1997 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such asFinal Fantasy VII Castlevania: Symphony of the Night GoldenEye 007 Star Fox 64 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back Quake II Mega Man Legends Riven Tomb Raider II Dark Rift Tekken 3 Virtua Striker 2 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee Gran Turismo Diablo Grand Theft Auto Fallout Postal
Sony 'sPlayStation was the year's best-sellingvideo game console worldwide for the second year in a row, while also being the annual best-selling console in Japan for the first time (overtaking theGame Boy andSega Saturn ). The year's best-selling home video game worldwide wasSquaresoft 'sFinal Fantasy VII for the PlayStation, while the year's highest-grossingarcade games in Japan wereSega 'sVirtua Fighter 3 Print Club 2
Game.com Game of the Year awards [ edit ] The following titles wonGame of the Year awards for 1997.
Critically acclaimed titles [ edit ] Metacritic and GameRankings [ edit ] Metacritic (MC) andGameRankings (GR) are online aggregators ofvideo game journalism reviews. Note that their coverage of print magazines at the time was limited, with numerous print magazines not listed on their sites.
1997 games and expansions scoring at least 88/100 (MC) or 87.5% (GR)[ 17] [ 18] Game Publisher Release Date Platform(s) MC score GR score Gran Turismo Sony Computer Entertainment December 23, 1997 PS1 96/100[ 19] 94.95%[ 20] GoldenEye 007 Nintendo August 25, 1997 N64 96/100 94.7% Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Konami March 20, 1997 PS1 93/100 93.03% Final Fantasy VII Square January 31, 1997 PS1 92/100 92.35% Dungeon Keeper Electronic Arts June 26, 1997 WIN / DOS — 92.2% Diablo Blizzard Entertainment January 3, 1997 WIN / DOS 94/100 89.07% Colony Wars Psygnosis October 31, 1997 PS1 91/100 92.09% Sid Meier's Gettysburg! Electronic Arts October 14, 1997 WIN / DOS 92/100 91%[ 21] Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II LucasArts October 10, 1997 WIN / DOS 91/100 88.69% Myth: The Fallen Lords Bungie November 7, 1997 WIN / DOS 91/100 80.8% Blast Corps Nintendo March 21, 1997 N64 90/100 88.87% NFL GameDay 98 Sony Computer Entertainment September 4, 1997 PS1 — 90% Fallout Interplay Productions October 10, 1997 WIN / DOS 89/100 89.69% Carmageddon Sales Curve Interactive June 13, 1997 WIN / DOS — 89.6% Formula 1 97 Psygnosis September 26, 1997 PS1 — 89.43% MDK Playmates Interactive May 5, 1997 WIN / DOS — 89.2% Star Fox 64 Nintendo April 27, 1997 N64 88/100 89.01% The Curse of Monkey Island LucasArts November 1, 1997 WIN / DOS 89/100 89% Einhänder Square November 20, 1997 PS1 89/100[ 19] 85%[ 20] Total Annihilation GT Interactive September 26, 1997 WIN / DOS 86/100 88.85% Diddy Kong Racing Rare November 21, 1997 N64 88/100 88.65% Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back Sony Computer Entertainment October 31, 1997 PS1 — 88.54% Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee GT Interactive September 18, 1997 PS1 85/100 87.94% Madden NFL 98 EA Sports August 26, 1997 SAT — 87.90%[ 22]
Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame[ edit ] The following video game releases in 1997 enteredFamitsu Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.[ 23]
Financial performance [ edit ] Highest-grossing arcade games in Japan [ edit ] In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossingarcade games of 1997.
Best-selling video game consoles [ edit ] Rank Manufacturer Game console Type Generation Sales Japan United States Worldwide 1 Sony PS1 Home 32-bit 5,050,000+[ 25] 6,750,000+[ 25] 17,200,000+[ 25] 2 Nintendo GB Handheld 8-bit 4,220,000[ 26] Unknown 10,370,000[ 26] 3 Nintendo N64 Home 64-bit 1,110,000[ 26] 4,488,000[ 27] 9,420,000[ 26] 4 Nintendo SNES Home 16-bit 190,000[ 26] 593,000[ 27] 2,040,000[ 26] 5 Sega SAT Home 32-bit 800,000[ 28] 249,000[ 27] 1,800,000[ 29] [ 30] 6 Sega GEN Home 16-bit Unknown 478,000[ 27] 478,000+ 7 Nintendo NES Home 8-bit 30,000[ 26] 81,000[ 27] 111,000 8 NEC PCFX Home 32-bit 30,000[ 28] — 30,000
Best-selling home video games [ edit ] Final Fantasy VII [ 31] 6 million copies worldwide by 1998, becoming thebest-selling PlayStation game up until then.[ 32]
The following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games (console games orcomputer games ) of 1997 in Japan and the United States.
Rank Title Platform Sales Japan United States [ 33] [ 34] Combined 1 Final Fantasy VII PS1 3,447,500+[ 35] 1,500,000+[ 34] 4,947,500+ 2 Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / Blue GB 3,995,988[ 36] — 3,995,988 3 Mario Kart 64 N64 731,385[ 36] 1,500,000+ 2,231,385+ 4 Star Fox 64 N64 373,479[ 37] 1,500,000+ 1,873,479+ 5 Super Mario 64 N64 361,302[ 37] 1,500,000+ 1,861,302+ 6 Diddy Kong Racing N64 217,259[ 38] 1,500,000+ 1,717,259+ 7 Derby Stallion PS1 1,581,138[ 37] — 1,581,138 8 Minna no Golf Everybody's Golf )PS1 1,327,000[ 39] — 1,327,000 9 Final Fantasy Tactics PS1 1,239,000[ 39] — 1,239,000 10 SaGa Frontier PS1 1,057,263[ 37] — 1,057,263
In the United States, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1997.[ 40] [ 41] [ 42]
Rank Title Platform Developer Publisher Genre Sales[ 33] [ 34] 1 Mario Kart 64 N64 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Racing (kart) 1,500,000+ 2 Star Fox 64 N64 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Rail shooter 1,500,000+ 3 Super Mario 64 N64 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Platformer 1,500,000+ 4 Diddy Kong Racing N64 Rare Rare Racing (kart) 1,500,000+ 5 GoldenEye 007 N64 Rare Nintendo FPS 1,500,000+ 6 Final Fantasy VII PS1 Squaresoft Sony RPG 1,500,000+[ 34] 7 NFL GameDay 98 PS1 Sony Interactive Sony Sports (football) Unknown 8 Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire N64 LucasArts Nintendo Action Unknown 9 Madden NFL 98 PS1 Tiburon Entertainment EA Sports Sports (football) Unknown 10 Crash Bandicoot PS1 Naughty Dog Sony Platformer Unknown
In Japan, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1997.
Rank Title Platform Developer Publisher Genre Sales Ref 1 Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / Blue GB Game Freak Nintendo RPG 3,995,988 [ 36] 2 Final Fantasy VII PS1 Squaresoft Squaresoft RPG 3,447,500+ [ 35] 3 Derby Stallion PS1 ASCII ASCII Simulation 1,581,138 [ 37] 4 Minna no Golf Everybody's Golf )PS1 Camelot Software Planning Sony Sports (golf) 1,327,000 [ 39] 5 Final Fantasy Tactics PS1 Squaresoft Squaresoft Tactical RPG 1,239,000 6 SaGa Frontier PS1 Squaresoft Squaresoft RPG 1,057,263 [ 37] 7 Gran Turismo PS1 Polys Entertainment Sony Racing (sim) 905,000 [ 39] 8 Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi GB Tom Create Bandai Virtual pet 808,000 9 Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon PS1 Squaresoft Squaresoft Roguelike 801,000 10 PaRappa the Rapper PS1 NanaOn-Sha Sony Rhythm 761,621 [ 36]
In Europe, the following titles were the top-selling home video games of each month in 1997.
Notable releases in 1997 [ edit ] Release Date Title Platform Ref January 3 Diablo WIN / DOS [citation needed January 14 Tengai Makyō: Daiyon no Mokushiroku SAT [citation needed January 31 Final Fantasy VII PS1 [citation needed February 5 DoDonPachi SAT, Arcade [citation needed February 10 Mario Kart 64 N64 [citation needed February 27 The Lost Vikings 2 WIN / DOS, SNES, PS1, SAT [citation needed February 28 Blast Corps N64 [citation needed February 28 Independence Day WIN / DOS, PS1, SAT [citation needed February 28 Mega Man 8 PS1, SAT [citation needed February 28 Turok: Dinosaur Hunter WIN / DOS, N64 [citation needed February 28 Interstate '76 WIN / DOS [citation needed March 20 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night PS1 [citation needed March 20 Tekken 3 Arcade [citation needed March 24 Realms of the Haunting WIN / DOS [citation needed March 26 Vandal Hearts PS1, SAT [citation needed March 30 The Last Express WIN / DOS [citation needed March 31 Need for Speed II WIN / DOS, PS1 [citation needed April 7 Outlaws WIN / DOS [citation needed April 7 Redneck Rampage WIN / DOS [citation needed April 30 Fighters Megamix SAT [citation needed April 30 Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter WIN / DOS [citation needed May 21 Blood WIN / DOS [citation needed May 31 MDK WIN / DOS [citation needed June 10 Ecstatica II WIN / DOS [citation needed June 17 Harvest Moon SNES [citation needed June 20 Sonic Jam SAT [citation needed June 20 Final Fantasy Tactics PS1 [citation needed June 26 Dungeon Keeper WIN / DOS [citation needed June 30 Star Fox 64 N64 [citation needed July 4 Jane's 688(I) Hunter/Killer WIN / DOS [citation needed July 28 The King of Fighters '97 NEO, NEOCD, Arcade [citation needed July 30 Carmageddon WIN / DOS [citation needed July 31 Herc's Adventures PS1, SAT [citation needed July 31 Warlords III: Reign of Heroes WIN / DOS [citation needed August 1 Mega Man X4 PS1, SAT [citation needed August 11 Tetrisphere N64 [citation needed August 25 GoldenEye 007 N64 [citation needed August 25 Shadow Warrior WIN / DOS [citation needed August 26 Madden NFL 98 WIN / DOS, PS1, SAT [citation needed August 31 Imperialism WIN / DOS [citation needed September 9 Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire WIN / DOS [citation needed September 10 Silhouette Mirage SAT [citation needed September 11 Breath of Fire III PS1 [citation needed September 11 Hexen II WIN / DOS [citation needed September 17 Resident Evil WIN / DOS [citation needed September 18 Street Fighter Collection SAT, PS1 [citation needed September 19 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee WIN / DOS, PS1 [citation needed September 24 Ultima Online WIN / DOS [citation needed September 24 Postal WIN / DOS [citation needed September 26 Bomberman 64 N64 [citation needed September 26 LEGO Island WIN / DOS [citation needed September 29 Croc: Legend of the Gobbos WIN / DOS, PS1, SAT [citation needed September 30 Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far WIN / DOS [citation needed September 30 Fallout WIN / DOS [citation needed September 30 Panzer General II WIN / DOS [citation needed September 30 Poy Poy PS1 [citation needed September 30 Total Annihilation WIN / DOS [citation needed October Combat Chess WIN / DOS [citation needed October 9 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II WIN / DOS [citation needed October 15 Age of Empires WIN / DOS [citation needed October 15 Mortal Kombat 4 N64, Arcade [citation needed October 23 Steep Slope Sliders SAT [citation needed October 28 Shipwreckers WIN / DOS, PS1 [citation needed October 29 Riven WIN / DOS, SAT, PS1 [citation needed October 30 Culdcept SAT [citation needed October 31 The Curse of Monkey Island WIN / DOS [citation needed October 31 Zork: Grand Inquisitor WIN / DOS [citation needed November Independence War WIN / DOS [citation needed November 1 Shock Troopers NEO, Arcade [citation needed November 4 Colony Wars PS1 [citation needed November 6 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back PS1 [ 60] November 14 Blade Runner WIN / DOS [citation needed November 17 Sonic R SAT [citation needed November 18 Tomb Raider II WIN / DOS, PS1 [citation needed November 21 Diddy Kong Racing N64 [citation needed November 21 Worms 2 WIN / DOS [citation needed November 25 Myth: The Fallen Lords WIN / DOS [citation needed November 27 Kirby's Dream Land 3 SNES [citation needed November 27 Grand Theft Auto WIN / DOS, PS1 [citation needed November 30 FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 WIN / DOS, N64, PS1, SAT [citation needed November 30 One PS1 [citation needed November 30 Wing Commander: Prophecy WIN / DOS [citation needed November 30 WCW vs. nWo: World Tour N64 [citation needed December Puzzle Bobble 4 Arcade [citation needed December 6 Quake II WIN / DOS, PS1 [citation needed December 11 Klonoa: Door to Phantomile PS1 [citation needed December 18 Grandia SAT [citation needed December 18 Mega Man Legends PS1 [citation needed December 21 Yoshi's Story N64 [citation needed December 23 Gran Turismo PS1 [citation needed December 31 Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero N64 [citation needed Unknown 7 Wonders WIN [citation needed
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