Such a question often leads to a debate online, sometimes heated, but what truly was the best year for video games in history?
Some say 2003 – A fine year for video games. Such titles as Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, SmackDown! Here’s Comes the Pain, Mario Kart: Double Dash and more were released. Others suggest 2007 as heavyweight hitters such as Mass Effect, Portal, Assassin’s Creed, BioShock, Crysis and among others were released. But what if we told you none of those years were correct. What if we told you the greatest year in gaming was 2004… more specifically what if you were told that 8 weeks in 2004 was the pinnacle in gaming. Would you believe it?
Let’s set the stage – October 1st 2004 to November 30th 2004
Let’s take a trip down memory lane because 8 weeks (that’s 56 days for those who are counting) had some of the biggest games ever released. Games that people are still talking about almost two decades later. Need proof? Well let us take a ride below:
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – October 26th, 2004.
What can be said about this legendary game that has not already been said? The sequel to Grand Theft Auto Vice City but this time set in the early 1990s, You play as Cj… you already know this. As soon as this landed on the PlayStation 2 it was an instant classic that people still talk about this day (let’s pretend the definitive edition doesn’t exist)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – November 17th 2004.
Metal Gear Solid 3 is widely regarded as the best entry in the entire series and was absolutely stunning when released. This time around the series ventures in to the 1960’s and you play as Big Boss – the legendary solider who must face the woman who trained him and who he loves.
Critically acclaimed, this is a game many people have been playing, talking and enjoying since it first hit the shelves for the PlayStation 2.
Half Life 2 – November 17th 2004.
The word “hype” gets thrown around a lot in the video games industry. But the simple fact is if you roll back the clock to pre-November 17th 2004 the hype was unreal. Valve outdid themselves with Half Life 2 – allowing players to enter the shoes of one Gordon Freeman as he held a crowbar tightly in his hand in the truly breathtaking City 17. The music, the graphics, the atmosphere…. everything about this game was brilliant.
Halo 2 – November 9th 2004.
If you owned an XBOX back in the day this was your most anticipated video game on your radar. Loved by fans & critics alike. This helped cement the Halo series that is still going strong 2 decades later. Fun fact: It is widely accepted that Halo 2 helped grow online gaming on xbox.
Nintendo DS – November 21st 2004.
Over 154 million units sold worldwide (As of 2016). Near 31 million copies of Super Mario Bros DS sold (Again, as of 2016 numbers) – What can be said. You probably had one. It launched in this window.
Counter Strike: Source – November 1st 2004.
A game played by many pc gamers back in the day – and still to this day. Counter Strike Source is considered one of the G.O.A.T.’s.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes – November 15th 2004.
Metroid Prime was a huge success upon release on the GameCUbe. So what do you do? you release another game. Just as loved as the original, this too came out in the 8 week window.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines – November 16th 2004.
What a cult following this game has. Built on Valve’s Source Engine this was a true hidden gem. Sure it has bugs when it first hit shelves – but there is so much charm. From writing, to graphics, to the music – oh man the music. There is a reason why people still talk about it.
World of Warcraft – November 23rd 2004.
You would have to be living under a rock to not have head of this – or it’s massive success.
Killzone – November 2nd 2004.
You see First Person Shooter titles were scarce on the PlayStation 2. So when one came out, a very good one at that point, PlayStation players took notice. Developer Guerrilla Games were instantly trust into one of the most biggest studios in the world. From 2004 to 2013 a total of 6 Killzone games were released although the series seems to be put on ice right now. Expect it to make a comeback at some point.
Still not convinced?
Perhaps those 8 weeks do not convince you, well other titles released in 2004 were Doom 3, Gran Turismo 4, Far Cry, Fable and Monster Hunter and a whole lot more.
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