1997 in video games


1997 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Final 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 and Virtua Striker 2, along with new games such as Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Gran Turismo, Diablo, Grand Theft Auto, Fallout, and Postal.
Sony's PlayStation was the year's best-selling video game console worldwide for the second year in a row, while also being the annual best-selling console in Japan for the first time. The year's best-selling home video game worldwide was Squaresoft's Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation, while the year's highest-grossing arcade games in Japan were Sega's Virtua Fighter 3 and Print Club 2.
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Hardware

DateSystem
March 1Nintendo 64/
April 25Dual Analog Controller
September 12Game.com
October 20New-style Super NES
November 20DualShock controller

Top-rated games

Game of the Year awards

The following titles won Game of the Year awards for 1997.
AwardsGame of the YearPlatformGenrePublisher
CESA AwardsFinal Fantasy VIIPS1RPGSquaresoft
Japan Media Arts FestivalFinal Fantasy VIIPS1RPGSquaresoft
Electronic Gaming Monthly Final Fantasy VIIPS1RPGSony
Game InformerFinal Fantasy VIIPS1RPGSony
GameProFinal Fantasy VIIPS1RPGSony
HyperFinal Fantasy VIIPS1RPGSony
Origins AwardsFinal Fantasy VIIPS1RPGSony
Electronic Gaming Monthly GoldenEye 007N64FPSNintendo
Interactive Achievement AwardsGoldenEye 007N64FPSNintendo
VideoGame AdvisorGoldenEye 007N64FPSNintendo
Electronic PlaygroundGoldenEye 007N64FPSNintendo
GameProGoldenEye 007N64FPSNintendo
Nintendo PowerGoldenEye 007N64FPSNintendo
DigitiserSuper Mario 64N64PlatformerNintendo
Golden Joystick AwardsSuper Mario 64N64PlatformerNintendo
GameSpotTotal AnnihilationWIN / DOSRTSCavedog
Gamest AwardsVampire Savior ArcadeFightingCapcom
Japan Media Arts FestivalIntelligent Qube PS1PuzzleSony
Origins AwardsSid Meier's Gettysburg!WIN / DOSWargameElectronic Arts
Origins AwardsTomb RaiderAction-adventureEidos Interactive

Critically acclaimed titles

Metacritic and GameRankings

Metacritic and GameRankings are online aggregators of video game journalism reviews. Note that their coverage of print magazines at the time was limited, with numerous print magazines not listed on their sites.
GamePublisherRelease DatePlatformMC scoreGR score
Gran TurismoSony Computer EntertainmentDecember 23, 1997PS196/10094.95%
GoldenEye 007NintendoAugust 25, 1997N6496/10094.7%
Castlevania: Symphony of the NightKonamiMarch 20, 1997PS193/10093.03%
Final Fantasy VIISquareJanuary 31, 1997PS192/10092.35%
Dungeon KeeperElectronic ArtsJune 26, 1997WIN / DOS92.2%
DiabloBlizzard EntertainmentJanuary 3, 1997WIN / DOS94/10089.07%
Colony WarsPsygnosisOctober 31, 1997PS191/10092.09%
Sid Meier's Gettysburg!Electronic ArtsOctober 14, 1997WIN / DOS92/10091%
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces IILucasArtsOctober 10, 1997WIN / DOS91/10088.69%
Myth: The Fallen LordsBungieNovember 7, 1997WIN / DOS91/10080.8%
Blast CorpsNintendoMarch 21, 1997N6490/10088.87%
NFL GameDay 98Sony Computer EntertainmentSeptember 4, 1997PS190%
FalloutInterplay ProductionsOctober 10, 1997WIN / DOS89/10089.69%
CarmageddonSales Curve InteractiveJune 13, 1997WIN / DOS89.6%
Formula 1 97PsygnosisSeptember 26, 1997PS189.43%
MDKPlaymates InteractiveMay 5, 1997WIN / DOS89.2%
Star Fox 64NintendoApril 27, 1997N6488/10089.01%
The Curse of Monkey IslandLucasArtsNovember 1, 1997WIN / DOS89/10089%
EinhänderSquareNovember 20, 1997PS189/10085%
Total AnnihilationGT InteractiveSeptember 26, 1997WIN / DOS86/10088.85%
Diddy Kong RacingRareNovember 21, 1997N6488/10088.65%
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes BackSony Computer EntertainmentOctober 31, 1997PS188.54%
Oddworld: Abe's OddyseeGT InteractiveSeptember 18, 1997PS185/10087.94%
Madden NFL 98EA SportsAugust 26, 1997SAT87.90%

''Famitsu'' Platinum Hall of Fame

The following video game releases in 1997 entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.
TitlePlatformDeveloperPublisherGenreScore
Final Fantasy VIIPS1SquaresoftSquaresoftRPG38
Final Fantasy VII InternationalPS1SquaresoftSquaresoftRPG37
Tobal 2PS1DreamFactorySquaresoftFighting36
Star Fox 64N64Nintendo EADNintendoRail shooter36
Derby StallionPS1ASCII CorporationASCII CorporationSimulation35
Gran TurismoPS1Polys EntertainmentSonyRacing 35

Financial performance

Highest-grossing arcade games in Japan

In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1997.

Best-selling home video games

Final Fantasy VII was the best-selling home video game worldwide in 1997. It sold more than copies worldwide by 1998, becoming the best-selling PlayStation game up until then.
The following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1997 in Japan and the United States.

United States

In the United States, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1997.
RankTitlePlatformDeveloperPublisherGenreSales
1Mario Kart 64N64Nintendo EADNintendoRacing 1,000,000+
2Star Fox 64N64Nintendo EADNintendoRail shooter1,000,000+
3Super Mario 64N64Nintendo EADNintendoPlatformer1,000,000+
4Diddy Kong RacingN64RareRareRacing 1,000,000+
5GoldenEye 007N64RareNintendoFPS1,000,000+
6Final Fantasy VIIPS1SquaresoftSonyRPG1,500,000+
7NFL GameDay 98PS1Sony InteractiveSonySports
8Star Wars: Shadows of the EmpireN64LucasArtsNintendoAction
9Madden NFL 98PS1Tiburon EntertainmentEA SportsSports
10Crash BandicootPS1Naughty DogSonyPlatformer

Japan

In Japan, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1997.
RankTitlePlatformDeveloperPublisherGenreSales
1Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / BlueGBGame FreakNintendoRPG3,995,988
2Final Fantasy VIIPS1SquaresoftSquaresoftRPG3,447,500+
3Derby StallionPS1ASCIIASCIISimulation1,581,138
4Minna no Golf PS1Camelot Software PlanningSonySports 1,327,000
5Final Fantasy TacticsPS1SquaresoftSquaresoftTactical RPG1,239,000
6SaGa FrontierPS1SquaresoftSquaresoftRPG1,057,263
7Gran TurismoPS1Polys EntertainmentSonyRacing 905,000
8Game de Hakken!! TamagotchiGBTom CreateBandaiVirtual pet808,000
9Chocobo no Fushigi na DungeonPS1SquaresoftSquaresoftRoguelike801,000
10PaRappa the RapperPS1NanaOn-ShaSonyRhythm761,621

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the following titles were the top-selling home video games of each month in 1997.
MonthTitlePlatform
JanuaryDie Hard TrilogyPS1
FebruaryCool BoardersPS1
MarchSuper Mario 64N64
AprilWave Race 64N64
AprilMicro Machines V3PS1
MaySoul BladePS1
JuneMario Kart 64N64
JulyInternational Superstar Soccer 64N64
AugustV-RallyPS1
SeptemberV-RallyPS1
OctoberFormula 1 97PS1
OctoberLylat WarsN64
NovemberFinal Fantasy VIIPS1
DecemberFIFA: Road to World Cup 98PS1, WIN / DOS

Events

Business

Lawsuits

  • Nintendo vs Games City: Nintendo sues Games City for selling the Game Doctor and Doctor V64 backup devices for the SNES and N64 consoles. Nintendo wins the suit.
  • Nintendo vs Prima Publishing: Nintendo sues Prima over copyrights to maps of the N64 video game GoldenEye 007. Nintendo loses the suit.
  • Nintendo vs Sony Video Games: Nintendo sues Sony over copyrights about Mario games.

Notable releases in 1997

Release DateTitlePlatform
January 3DiabloWIN / DOS
January 14Tengai Makyō: Daiyon no MokushirokuSAT
January 31Final Fantasy VIIPS1
February 5DoDonPachiSAT, Arcade
February 10Mario Kart 64N64
February 27The Lost Vikings 2WIN / DOS, SNES, PS1, SAT
February 28Blast CorpsN64
February 28Independence DayWIN / DOS, PS1, SAT
February 28Mega Man 8PS1, SAT
February 28Turok: Dinosaur HunterWIN / DOS, N64
February 28Interstate '76WIN / DOS
March 20Castlevania: Symphony of the NightPS1
March 20Tekken 3Arcade
March 24Realms of the Haunting WIN / DOS
March 26Vandal HeartsPS1, SAT
March 30The Last ExpressWIN / DOS
March 31Need for Speed IIWIN / DOS, PS1
April 7OutlawsWIN / DOS
April 7Redneck RampageWIN / DOS
April 30Fighters MegamixSAT
April 30Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE FighterWIN / DOS
May 21BloodWIN / DOS
May 31MDKWIN / DOS
June 10Ecstatica IIWIN / DOS
June 17Harvest MoonSNES
June 20Sonic JamSAT
June 20Final Fantasy TacticsPS1
June 26Dungeon KeeperWIN / DOS
June 30Star Fox 64N64
July 4Jane's 688(I) Hunter/KillerWIN / DOS
July 28The King of Fighters '97NEO, NEOCD, Arcade
July 30CarmageddonWIN / DOS
July 31Herc's AdventuresPS1, SAT
July 31Warlords III: Reign of HeroesWIN / DOS
August 1Mega Man X4PS1, SAT
August 11TetrisphereN64
August 25GoldenEye 007N64
August 25Shadow WarriorWIN / DOS
August 26Madden NFL 98WIN / DOS, PS1, SAT
August 31ImperialismWIN / DOS
September 9Star Wars: Shadows of the EmpireWIN / DOS
September 10Silhouette MirageSAT
September 11Breath of Fire IIIPS1
September 11Hexen IIWIN / DOS
September 17Resident EvilWIN / DOS
September 18Street Fighter CollectionSAT, PS1
September 19Oddworld: Abe's OddyseeWIN / DOS, PS1
September 24Ultima OnlineWIN / DOS
September 24PostalWIN / DOS
September 26Bomberman 64N64
September 26LEGO IslandWIN / DOS
September 29Croc: Legend of the GobbosWIN / DOS, PS1, SAT
September 30Close Combat: A Bridge Too FarWIN / DOS
September 30FalloutWIN / DOS
September 30Panzer General IIWIN / DOS
September 30Poy PoyPS1
September 30Total AnnihilationWIN / DOS
OctoberCombat ChessWIN / DOS
October 9Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces IIWIN / DOS
October 15Age of EmpiresWIN / DOS
October 15Mortal Kombat 4N64, Arcade
October 23Steep Slope SlidersSAT
October 28ShipwreckersWIN / DOS, PS1
October 29RivenWIN / DOS, SAT, PS1
October 30CuldceptSAT
October 31The Curse of Monkey IslandWIN / DOS
October 31Zork: Grand InquisitorWIN / DOS
NovemberIndependence WarWIN / DOS
November 1Shock TroopersNEO, Arcade
November 4Colony WarsPS1
November 6Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes BackPS1
November 14Blade RunnerWIN / DOS
November 17Sonic RSAT
November 18Tomb Raider IIWIN / DOS, PS1
November 21Diddy Kong RacingN64
November 21Worms 2WIN / DOS
November 25Myth: The Fallen LordsWIN / DOS
November 27Kirby's Dream Land 3SNES
November 27Grand Theft AutoWIN / DOS, PS1
November 30FIFA: Road to World Cup 98WIN / DOS, N64, PS1, SAT
November 30OnePS1
November 30Wing Commander: ProphecyWIN / DOS
November 30WCW vs. nWo: World TourN64
DecemberPuzzle Bobble 4Arcade
December 6Quake IIWIN / DOS, PS1
December 11Klonoa: Door to PhantomilePS1
December 18GrandiaSAT
December 18Mega Man LegendsPS1
December 21Yoshi's StoryN64
December 23Gran TurismoPS1
December 31Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-ZeroN64
Unknown7 WondersWIN