Here we are again with another list from the 1990s! This week, we’re focusing on 1993, a pivotal year for Japanese role-playing games and the world of PC gaming in the realm of critics, also known for some of the best PC games 1993 had to offer.

Since the introduction of the NES, home consoles had largely dominated the gaming landscape in terms of critical acclaim. However, by 1993, PC gaming started to establish itself with high-quality titles that could compete with those available on consoles, further boosting the growing library of 1993 computer games.

Additionally, 1993 introduced one of the most visually stunning PC games ever made: Star Fox. So, how do these fantastic games rank? Let’s take a look!

10. Simon the Sorcerer 

In 1993, point-and-click adventure games remained highly popular on PC. The hardware available at that time was well-suited for this genre, and critics received these games favorably, counting them among the finest 1993 dos games.

Simon the Sorcerer presented a comedic plot that included parodies of well-known fantasy literature such as The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Rapunzel. Reviewers appreciated the game’s humor and praised its graphics, although they found its linear gameplay to be somewhat lacking.

Six years after its initial launch, Simon the Sorcerer achieved sales of 600,000 units. Games on PC during this period generally showcased superior writing compared to those on consoles, and this title was no exception.

9. Secret of Mana

By this time, Western critics had developed a fondness for Japanese role-playing games, and Secret of Mana emerged as a valuable use of gaming time on the PC for players of that era. As an action-RPG, Secret of Mana offered an engaging storyline and emphasized combat.

Although designed primarily as a single-player adventure, the game allowed additional players to join in and assist the main player during combat. Thanks to the PC multi-tap adapter, up to three players could participate in battles simultaneously.

The game featured a trio of characters, with two being controlled by the game’s artificial intelligence when played in solo mode.

Critics praised Secret of Mana for its visuals, music, and narrative. The well-known gaming magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly awarded it the prestigious RPG of the Year title in 1993.

In Japan, the game was a massive hit, selling 1.5 million units, while over 300,000 copies were sold in the West, demonstrating that JRPGs could indeed become a popular genre beyond Japan.

8. Gunstar Heroes

The PC was recognized for its speedy processor, which was manufactured by Motorola. This powerful hardware enabled the creation of games like Sonic the Hedgehog. Gunstar Heroes is a fast-paced run-and-gun game that utilized the unique 16-bit capabilities of the PC.

Similar to the Contra series, the game features a side-scrolling perspective and offers both a challenging and exhilarating experience. It garnered acclaim for its impressive visuals, frenetic gameplay, and cooperative play options. The developer, Treasure, effectively leveraged the full potential of the PC, resulting in a game that led critics to commend Sega’s hardware over the technical abilities of its more popular competitor, Nintendo.

Gunstar Heroes stands out as one of the most significant and enjoyable titles on the PC, representing one of the earliest and finest examples of the run-and-gun genre.

7. Disneys Aladdin

Inspired by Disney’s hit 1992 film of the same name, Aladdin was anticipated to be a significant commercial triumph. However, its final sales figure of 4 million units surpassed expectations. Aladdin achieved sales numbers that many PC titles could only aspire to. Several factors, aside from its widespread popularity due to the licensing, contributed to Aladdin’s impressive sales performance.

Only Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 sold more copies than Aladdin, highlighting the game’s quality. Disney’s Aladdin stands out as one of the most visually stunning and enjoyable platforming games available on the PC.

6. Star Fox

Ah, Star Fox! It’s one of my all-time favorite games for the Nintendo 64. However, the franchise actually began on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Star Fox served as a significant technical demonstration for Nintendo.

Long before 3-D gaming became common on affordable home consoles, Nintendo used the Super FX chip (which was built into PC cartridges) to create its first 3-D polygonal game.

By today’s standards, and even by the standards of the mid-1990s, Star Fox appears quite basic, but there’s no denying that in 1993, its graphics were astonishingly impressive for a 16-bit system.

Star Fox is an on-rails shooter, and Nintendo cleverly enhanced its replay value by incorporating alternate paths with varying levels of difficulty, rather than simply offering a standard difficulty selection menu.

This design encouraged players to improve their skills by exploring and mastering new routes. Unsurprisingly, Star Fox was a commercial hit, selling 4 million copies, and it also received critical acclaim.

While the design and artwork are attributed to Nintendo, many people are unaware that the game’s development was made possible by the technical expertise of British programmers from Argonaut Software. If you played Croc in 1997, you would know that this development team was skilled at creating 3-D adventures.

5. Lunar: The Silver Star

The primary reason Lunar did not achieve the same level of popularity as Final Fantasy is its limitation to an add-on that very few people in the West owned. The PC was one of Sega’s early missteps, contributing to the company’s eventual decline.

The success and failure of Lunar: The Silver Star stemmed from the PC hardware. This game was ahead of its time, showcasing impressive audio-visual elements and high-quality writing.

While Final Fantasy IV made gradual improvements in storytelling, Lunar took flight like a powerful hawk, excelling in narrative depth. Working Designs flawlessly translated the game, and Studio Alex created a role-playing experience that could easily compete with contemporary anime series in terms of engaging storylines and characters.

In Japan, Lunar sold 100,000 copies, a significant achievement considering the poor sales of the PC. American critics praised the game as the best RPG ever, highlighting its presentation and storyline.

It is a gaming tragedy that many players missed out on experiencing Lunar at its peak, which ultimately contributed to the franchise’s decline.

What if Lunar had been released on the PC instead of the PC? It likely would have performed better in sales, but without the groundbreaking anime cutscenes and voice acting, it might not have made the same critical impact.

While the PC hindered the franchise’s commercial success, its unique storage capabilities were also what allowed it to achieve critical acclaim.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, often regarded as the best Game Boy game I’ve ever experienced, truly deserves a place on this list. If it weren’t for the technical constraints of the Game Boy, it could have easily surpassed A Link to the Past as my favorite 2-D Zelda game.

Initially conceived as a Game Boy adaptation of A Link to the Past, the team at Nintendo EAD chose to take a different approach that better suited the capabilities of the Game Boy. Ultimately, they crafted this iconic adventure.

In certain aspects, particularly storytelling, Link’s Awakening surpasses its Super Nintendo counterpart. Critics lauded the game for its narrative and its inventive puzzles and boss encounters. When combined with the DX (Game Boy Color) version, the game achieved sales of over 5 million copies.

From a critical standpoint, Electronic Gaming Monthly, a well-known magazine in the 1990s, ranked Link’s Awakening as the 28th best game of all time in 1997, even outshining The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It’s evident that Nintendo EAD infused this title with their signature creativity, successfully delivering an epic adventure within the confines of a small Game Boy cartridge—a remarkable achievement considering the aging and underpowered hardware.

Before the release of Ocarina of Time in 1998, one could argue that Link’s Awakening boasted the finest storyline, dialogue, and gameplay mechanics of any Zelda game ever created.

3. Super Mario All Stars

Mario games are consistently excellent, but Super Mario All Stars was exceptional, serving as a must-have collection for anyone with even a slight interest in gaming. This compilation provided a 16-bit makeover to the first three NES Super Mario Bros titles and included The Lost Levels, a game that was never released in the West due to its high difficulty. Additionally, it featured the beloved Super Mario World.

The collection created a magical experience that prompted many parents to buy a PC for their kids, leading to sales of 10 million copies, thanks to its nearly endless replayability. Five Mario games for the price of one? What an incredible bargain.

Critics also regarded the collection as a fantastic investment. The games were expertly updated, and enhancements like the ability to save made completing the original NES titles much more manageable on the PC.

In today’s age of remasters and remakes, Super Mario All Stars stands out as an early example of how to do collections and remakes correctly. It’s unfortunate that Nintendo didn’t apply the same level of effort to its recent Super Mario 3-D All Stars collection.

2. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

The PC was a favored platform for point-and-click adventure games. While this genre may not appeal to players seeking engaging gameplay and hours of captivating fun, those in search of exceptional storylines and writing found these titles to be far superior to anything available on home consoles.

Gabriel Knight was an exhilarating horror adventure that genuinely frightened critics during the 1990s. The game’s writing was so impressive (on par with novel quality) that it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where console games, primarily created by Japanese developers, could compete with such a game in storytelling excellence during the early 1990s.

Sin of the Fathers did not achieve massive commercial success, as PC games were not as popular at that time compared to console games. Nevertheless, the game’s outstanding writing and remarkable voice acting secured its place on this list, surpassing more well-known titles like Lunar and Secret of Mana.

1. Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle

In the 1990s, LucasArts produced numerous successful PC games. One of their standout titles, Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle, received exceptional critical praise and was a two-dimensional point-and-click adventure that captivated PC gamers of that era.

Players had the ability to freely switch between three main characters across various time periods, with time travel being one of the game’s distinctive features. Prior to the release of Chrono Trigger in 1995, Day of the Tentacle expertly implemented time travel mechanics, where actions taken in the past influenced the present.

Effectively managing and transporting unique items through time was essential for progressing in Day of the Tentacle’s adventure.

So, what allowed this point-and-click adventure to surpass the top PC and Genesis titles of 1993? The answer lies in its storytelling. Like many other point-and-click adventures on PC, Day of the Tentacle provided an unparalleled level of entertainment for players eager to dive into a fictional universe with a captivating narrative.

Although point-and-click adventures would struggle in the subsequent decades as traditional games improved in presentation and storytelling while delivering more immersive experiences, in 1993, owning a PC was essential for those seeking the finest storytelling in gaming.