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1998 in video games

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1998 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, F-Zero X, Fallout 2, Gex: Enter the Gecko, Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, Metal Gear Solid, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Resident Evil 2, Return to Krondor, Sonic Adventure, Soulcalibur, Street Fighter Alpha 3, and Tomb Raider III, along with new titles such as Banjo-Kazooie, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, MediEvil, Parasite Eve, Radiant Silvergun, Spyro the Dragon, StarCraft and Xenogears. In Japan, Sega released the Dreamcast which was the first console of the sixth generation and also the company's last major console.

The year has been retrospectively considered one of the best and most influential in video game history due to the release of numerous critically acclaimed, commercially successful and influential titles across all platforms and genres at the time. The year's best-selling video game console was the PlayStation for the third year in a row. The year's most critically acclaimed title was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which remains Metacritic's highest-scoring game of all time. The year's best-selling home video game worldwide was Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/Pikachu for the Game Boy, while the year's highest-grossing arcade game in Japan was Tekken 3.

Legend

Hardware releases

The Fifth generation of video game consoles started off this year with the launch of Sega's Dreamcast in Japan.

Nintendo released the Game Boy Color, the successor to the original Game Boy.

Date	System
April 14	Game Boy LightJP
October 21	Game Boy ColorJP
November 18	Game Boy ColorNA
November 23	Game Boy ColorEU
November 27	DreamcastJP
Game Boy ColorAU

Top-rated games

Game of the Year awards

The following titles won Game of the Year awards for 1998.

Awards	Game of the Year	Platform(s)	Publisher(s)	Genre	Ref
CESA Awards	Zelda no Densetsu: Toki no Ocarina
(The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)	N64	Nintendo	Action-adventure
Japan Media Arts Festival	title=1998 Japan Media Arts Festival Awards	url=http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/1998/	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905220002/http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/1998/	archive-date=5 September 2010	access-date=March 1, 2009	publisher=Japan Media Arts Plaza, Agency for Cultural Affairs	language=ja}}
Digitiser	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Edge
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)	date=April 1999	title=1998 Gamers' Choice Awards	magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly	issue=117	pages=107–114 [114]}}
Game Informer
GamePro
GameSpot
Interactive Achievement Awards
BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards	GoldenEye 007	N64	Nintendo	FPS
Video Software Dealers Association
Hyper	Final Fantasy VII	PS1, WIN	Sony, Eidos	RPG
RPGFan
GameSpot	Grim Fandango	WIN	LucasArts	Adventure
Gamest Awards	Psychic Force 2012	Arcade	Taito	Fighting
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	Metal Gear Solid	PS1	Konami	Stealth
RPGFan	Lunar 2: Eternal Blue	SAT	Game Arts	RPG	title=1st Annual RPG Awards - 1998	url=http://www.rpgfan.com/features/awards.html	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010630011126/http://www.rpgfan.com/features/awards.html	archive-date=2001-06-30	access-date=27 October 2021	website=RPGFan}}

Critically acclaimed titles

Metacritic and GameRankings

Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are aggregators of video game journalism reviews.

Game	Publisher	Release Date	Platform	MC score	GR score
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	Nintendo	November 21, 1998	N64	99/100	97.54%
Tekken 3	Namco	March 26, 1998	PS1	96/100	95.8%
Half-Life	Sierra Entertainment	November 19, 1998	WIN	96/100	94.02%
Metal Gear Solid	Konami	September 3, 1998	PS1	94/100	93.24%
Grim Fandango	LucasArts	October 30, 1998	WIN	94/100	92.97%
Resident Evil 2	Capcom	January 21, 1998	PS1	89/100	93.13%
Street Fighter Alpha 3	Capcom	December 23, 1998	PS1	title=Best Video Games for 1999	url=https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/year/all/filtered?sort=desc&year_selected=1999	access-date=February 23, 2019	website=Metacritic}}	title=Highest-Ranking Games of 1999 (with at least 10 reviews)	url=https://www.gamerankings.com/browse.html?site=&cat=0&year=1999&numrev=1&sort=0&letter=&search=	access-date=August 6, 2019	website=GameRankings}}
StarCraft	Blizzard Entertainment	March 31, 1998	WIN	88/100	92.85%
Panzer Dragoon Saga	Sega	January 29, 1998	SAT		92.46%
Banjo-Kazooie	Nintendo	June 29, 1998	N64	92/100	92.38%
Thief: The Dark Project	Eidos Interactive	December 1, 1998	WIN	92/100	89.41%
Baldur's Gate	Interplay Entertainment	December 21, 1998	WIN	91/100	91.94%
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	Nintendo	December 12, 1998	GBC		91.21%
International Superstar Soccer 98	Konami	June 4, 1998	N64	91/100	89.15%
Crash Bandicoot: Warped	Sony Computer Entertainment	October 31, 1998	PS1	91/100	89.07%
Xenogears	Square	February 11, 1998	PS1	84/100	90.99%
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus	GT Interactive	November 17, 1998	PS1	88/100	90.42%
NFL Blitz	Midway Games	September 12, 1998	PS1		90.13%
NFL Blitz	Midway Games	September 9, 1998	N64		90.02%
1080° Snowboarding	Nintendo	February 28, 1998	N64		89.60%
Battlezone	Activision	March 11, 1998	WIN		89.03%
Railroad Tycoon II	Gathering of Developers	November 2, 1998	WIN	89/100	83.15%
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil	Acclaim Entertainment	December 10, 1998	N64	86/100	88.96%
FIFA 99	EA Sports	October 31, 1998	WIN		88.87%
Caesar III	Sierra Entertainment	September 30, 1998	WIN		88.6%
Unreal	GT Interactive	May 22, 1998	WIN		88.58%
NBA Live 99	EA Sports	November 10, 1998	PS1		88.39%
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4	Namco	December 3, 1998	PS1	88/100	88.16%
NHL 99	EA Sports	September 30, 1998	WIN		88.11%
Wario Land II	Nintendo	March 7, 1998	GBC		88.04%
Myth II: Soulblighter	Bungie	December 28, 1998	WIN	88/100	86.39%
Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit	Electronic Arts	March 25, 1998	PS1	88/100	85.63%
Starsiege: Tribes	Sierra Entertainment	December 23, 1998	WIN	88/100	84.77%
Shogo: Mobile Armor Division	Monolith Productions	October 15, 1998	WIN	88/100	81.6%
FIFA 99	EA Sports	October 31, 1998	PS1		87.95%
F-Zero X	Nintendo	July 14, 1998	N64	85/100	87.61%
Madden NFL 99	EA Sports	September 23, 1998	N64		87.59%

''Famitsu'' Platinum Hall of Fame

The following video game releases in 1998 entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.

Title	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Score (out of 40)
The Legend of Zelda: Toki no Ocarina (Ocarina of Time)	N64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	40
Tekken 3	PS1	Namco	Fighting	39
Sonic Adventure	DC	Sega	Platformer	38
Biohazard 2 (Resident Evil 2)	PS1	Capcom	Survival horror	37
Metal Gear Solid	PS1	Konami	Stealth	37
Virtua Fighter 3tb	DC	Sega	Fighting	36
Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG (Panzer Dragon Saga)	SAT	Sega	RPG	35
Neo Atlas	PS1	Artdink	Strategy	35
Shiritsu Justice Gakuen: Legion of Heroes (Rival Schools)	PS1	Capcom	Fighting	35
Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland	GBC	Enix	RPG	35
Beatmania	PS1	Konami	Rhythm	35
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4	PS1	Namco	Racing	35
Crash Bandicoot 3 (Warped)	PS1	Sony	Platformer	35
Street Fighter Zero 3 (Street Fighter Alpha 3)	PS1	Capcom	Fighting	35

Financial performance

Best-selling video game consoles

Rank	Manufacturer	Platform	Type	Generation	Sales	Japan	United States	Worldwide
1	Sony	PS1	Home	32-bit	date=31 December 2003	title=Cumulative Production Shipments of Hardware / PlayStation	url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps_e.html	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040422075722/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps_e.html	archive-date=2004-04-22	access-date=2021-12-25	website=Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.	publisher=Sony}}	9,130,000	22,500,000
2	Nintendo	GB / GBC	Handheld	8-bit	date=September 2012	title=Consolidated Sales Transition by Region	url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1209.pdf	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030031244/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1209.pdf	archive-date=2012-10-30	access-date=2021-12-26	website=Nintendo	publisher=Nintendo Co., Ltd.}}	2,430,000	12,990,000
3	Nintendo	N64	Home	64-bit	1,210,000	last1=Clements	first1=Matthew T.	last2=Ohashi	first2=Hiroshi	date=October 2004	title=Indirect Network Effects and the Product Cycle: Video Games in the U.S., 1994–2002	url=http://www.netinst.org/Clements_Ohashi.pdf#page=25	url-status=live	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307012843/http://www.netinst.org/Clements_Ohashi.pdf	archive-date=March 7, 2016	access-date=September 21, 2011	publisher=NET Institute	pages=12, 24}}	7,860,000
4	Nintendo	SNES	Home	16-bit	50,000	,000	1,430,000
5	Sega	DC	Home	128-bit	last=小川 (Ogawa)	first=純生 (Sumio)	date=2010-12-14	title=テレビゲーム機の変遷 —ファミコン、スーパーファミコン、プレステ、プレステ2、Wiiまで—	trans-title=Recent Developments in Video Game Technology in Japan — Famicom, Super Famicom, Play Station, Play Station 2 and Wii —	url=http://www.toyo.ac.jp/uploaded/attachment/3049.pdf	journal=経営論集 (Keiei Ronshū)	language=ja	publication-date=March 2011	issue=77	pages=1–17 (2)	issn=0286-6439	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725185700/http://www.toyo.ac.jp/uploaded/attachment/3049.pdf	archive-date=2015-07-25	access-date=2021-12-06	via=Toyo University Academic Information Repository (Toyo University)}}	900,000
6	Sega	GEN	Home	16-bit		,000	659,000+
7	Sega	SAT	Home	32-bit	150,000	,000	205,000+
8	Nintendo	NES	Home	8-bit	50,000		50,120

Best-selling home video games

The following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games (console games or computer games) of 1998 in Japan, the United States, and Germany.

Rank	Title	Platform	Sales	Japan	United States	Germany
1	Pokémon Red / Green / Blue / Pikachu	GB	3,288,391	4,000,000
2	Resident Evil 2 (Biohazard 2)	PS1	2,298,814	1,194,840		+
3	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	920,000	2,500,000		+
4	Gran Turismo	PS1	1,495,761	1,431,483	270,000+	+
5	Tekken 3	PS1	1,266,000	1,113,749	100,000+	+
6	GoldenEye 007	N64		2,300,000		2,300,000+
7	Metal Gear Solid	PS1	765,000	1,064,909
8	Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland	GBC	1,660,000			1,660,000
9	Crash Bandicoot: Warped (Crash Bandicoot 3)	PS1	649,000	858,726		+
10	Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back	PS1	395,884	941,686		+

The following titles were the top ten highest-grossing home video games of 1998 in the United States and Europe.

Rank	Title	Platform(s)	Sales revenue	United States	date=February 12, 1999	title=Milia News; ECCSELL Awards Name Winners
1	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	$150,000,000	€39,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
2	Gran Turismo	PS1	$58,568,520	€66,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
3	Resident Evil 2	PS1	$58,597,202	€29,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
4	GoldenEye 007	N64	$70,377,973+	€19,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
5	Tekken 3	PS1	$48,554,550	€36,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
6	Banjo-Kazooie	N64	$51,790,624	€26,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
7	Tomb Raider III			€68,000,000+ (+)	$74,000,000+	$+
8	Pokémon Red / Blue	GB	$70,000,000+		$70,000,000+	$+
9	Super Mario 64	N64	$39,184,953	€21,000,000+ (+)	+	$+
10	FIFA 99			€50,000,000+ (+)	$56,000,000+	$+

Japan

In Japan, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1998.

Rank	Title	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Sales	Ref
1	Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / Blue / Pikachu (Pokémon)	GB	Nintendo	RPG	3,288,391
2	Biohazard 2 (Resident Evil 2)	PS1	Capcom	Survival horror	2,298,814+	chapter=97年9月～98年8月	trans-chapter=1997.09~1998.08	title=TV Game Ranking Databook: 1995.9~1998.8	date=15 December 1998	publisher=ベストセラーズ (Bestsellers)	isbn=978-4-584-16090-9	page=19	chapter-url=https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/M/MULTi88/20200928/20200928080910.jpg	language=ja}}
3	Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland	GBC	Enix	RPG	1,660,000	title=1998年のコンシューマーゲームソフトの売上Top100	trans-title=1998 Consumer Game Software Sales: Top 100	magazine=Dengeki Oh	publisher=MediaWorks	lang=ja	url=http://www.rnac.ne.jp/~zangel/1998.htm	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010921202950/http://www.rnac.ne.jp/~zangel/1998.htm	archive-date=21 September 2001	access-date=16 September 2021}}
4	Gran Turismo	PS1	Sony	Racing (Sim)	1,495,761
5	Tekken 3	PS1	Namco	Fighting	1,266,000
6	Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters	PS1	Konami	DCCG	1,175,000
7	Parasite Eve	PS1	Squaresoft	Horror	1,049,000
8	Tales of Destiny	PS1	Namco	Action RPG	965,280+
9	The Legend of Zelda: Toki no Ocarina (Ocarina of Time)	N64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	920,000
10	Xenogears	PS1	Squaresoft	RPG	892,015

United States

In the United States, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1998.

Rank	Title	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Sales	Revenue	Inflation
1	Pokémon Red / Blue	GB	Nintendo	RPG	last1=Kohler	first1=Chris	title=Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life	date=21 October 2016	publisher=Courier Dover Publications	isbn=978-0-486-80149-0	page=234	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lD4fDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA234	quote=The Game Boy titles Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue were released on September 27, 1998. They became the fastest-selling Game Boy titles ever, selling a combined 200,000 copies in the first two weeks of their availability. By the end of 1998 they had sold four million units in the US alone across three versions. In Japan, across four versions the game had sold nearly 12 million copies.}}	last1=King	first1=Sharon R.	title=Mania for 'Pocket Monsters' Yields Billions for Nintendo	url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/26/business/mania-for-pocket-monsters-yields-billions-for-nintendo.html	access-date=22 October 2021	work=The New York Times	date=26 April 1999}}	$+
2	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	Nintendo	Action-adventure	title=Zelda Breaks All Records	url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/01/08/zelda-breaks-all-records	access-date=21 October 2021	work=IGN	date=8 January 1999}}	$150,000,000	$
3	GoldenEye 007	N64	Nintendo	FPS	title=On Top Of Their Game	url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/archive/top-their-game	access-date=25 October 2021	work=Supermarket News	date=8 February 1999	language=en}}	date=April 22, 1999	title=High Scores: Top Titles in the Game Industry	url=http://www.feedmag.com/vgs/data.html	work=Feed Magazine	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990508194727/http://www.feedmag.com/vgs/data.html	archive-date=May 8, 1999}}	$+
4	Gran Turismo	PS1	Sony	Racing (Sim)	1,431,483	$58,568,520	$
5	Resident Evil 2	PS1	Capcom	Survival horror	1,194,840	$58,597,202	$
6	Tekken 3	PS1	Namco	Fighting	1,113,749	$48,554,550	$
7	Madden NFL 99	PS1	EA Sports	Sports	1,073,777	$44,130,798	$
8	Metal Gear Solid	PS1	Konami	Stealth	1,064,909	$51,834,077	$
9	Banjo-Kazooie	N64	Nintendo	Platformer	1,054,349	$51,790,624	$
10	Super Mario 64	N64	Nintendo	Platformer	946,411	$39,184,953	$

Europe

In Europe, the following titles were the top ten highest-grossing home video games of 1998.

Rank	Title	Platform(s)	Europe sales revenue	France	Germany	Sales revenue	Inflation	Rank	Sales
1	Tomb Raider III		€68,000,000+ (+)	$+
2	Gran Turismo	PS1	€66,000,000+ (+)	$+	1	url=https://www.focus.de/finanzen/news/unterhaltung-die-spassmaschine_aid_174129.html	title=Die Spaßmaschine	date=November 23, 1998	author1=Müller, Eva	author2=Canibol, Hans-Peter	issue=48	work=Focus	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206015705/http://www.focus.de/finanzen/news/unterhaltung-die-spassmaschine_aid_174129.html	archive-date=December 6, 2018	language=de	url-status=live}}
3	FIFA 99		€50,000,000+ (+)	$+
4	World Cup 98		€48,000,000+ (+)	$+		339,000+
5	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	€39,000,000+ (+)	$+
Tomb Raider II		€39,000,000+ (+)	$+		358,000+
7	FIFA: Road to World Cup 98		€37,000,000+ (+)	$+		160,000+
8	Tekken 3	PS1	€36,000,000+ (+)	$+		archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000610165302/http://www.vud.de/infopres/PM-271198.htm	url=http://www.vud.de/infopres/PM-271198.htm	title=Neues aus der Verbandsgeschäftstelle	location=Paderborn	date=27 November 1998	publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland	archive-date=10 June 2000	language=de	url-status=dead}}
9	Colin McRae Rally		€30,000,000+ (+)	$+	colspan="2" rowspan="2"
10	Resident Evil 2	PS1	€29,000,000+ (+)	$+

Australia

In Australia, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home console games of 1998.

Rank	Title	Platform	Developer	Publisher	Genre
1	GoldenEye 007	N64	Rare	Nintendo	FPS
2	Gran Turismo	PS1	Polys Entertainment	Sony	Racing (Sim)
3	Banjo-Kazooie	N64	Rare	Nintendo	Platformer
4	Crash Bandicoot (Platinum)	PS1	Naughty Dog	Sony
5	Mario Kart 64	N64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Racing (Kart)
6	Super Mario 64	N64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Platformer
7	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Action-adventure
8	Croc: Legend of the Gobbos	PS1	Argonaut Software	Fox Interactive	Platformer
9	Yoshi's Story	N64	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo
10	Tekken 2 (Platinum)	PS1	Namco	Sony	Fighting

Highest-grossing arcade games in Japan

In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1998.

Rank	Gamest	Game Machine	Title	Manufacturer	Title
1	Tekken 3	Namco	Tekken 3	Software	4561
2	Street Fighter Zero 3 (Street Fighter Alpha 3)	Capcom	Virtua Striker 2 / Ver. 98	Software	4366
3	Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes	Capcom	Print Club 2	Other	3534
4	The King of Fighters '98	SNK	The House of the Dead	Dedicated	3334
5	Virtua Fighter 3 Team Battle (Virtua Fighter 3tb)	Sega	Virtua Fighter 3 Team Battle	Dedicated	2936
6	The King of Fighters '97	SNK	Sega Bass Fishing (Get Bass)	Dedicated	2931
7	Virtua Striker 2	Sega	The Lost World: Jurassic Park	Dedicated	2719
8	Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram	Sega	Strikers 1945 II	Software	2622
9	Street Fighter EX2	Capcom	Final Furlong	Dedicated	2414
10	Virtua Striker 2 Ver. 98	Sega	The King of Fighters '97	Software	2377

Events

Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) hosts its first annual Interactive Achievement Awards. Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo is inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame.
British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the first annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards.
January 1 – The ESRB changes the "K-A" (Kids to Adults) rating to "E" (Everyone).
March 14 – Sega announces the discontinuation of the Sega Saturn in North America to prepare for the launch of its successor, the Dreamcast.
May:
- 28 – Bill Williams, designer of Alley Cat, Necromancer, and Mind Walker, dies.
- 28–30 – The fourth annual E3 is held in Atlanta, Georgia. Following the show, the inaugural Game Critics Awards was held with winners being titled Best of E3.
July 3 – Danielle Bunten Berry, designer of M.U.L.E. and Seven Cities of Gold, dies.
September 6 – Infogrames Entertainment, SA and Canal+ launch the Game One television channel.
November 28 – Video game retailer FuncoLand opens its 300th location in Nashville, Tennessee.
December – Take-Two Interactive forms the Rockstar Games publishing label.
December 11 - The final Sega Saturn game is released in North America, Magic Knight Rayearth.

Business

Activision acquires CD Contact Data and Head Games Publishing.
Eidos Interactive acquires Crystal Dynamics.
Electronic Arts Inc. acquires Westwood Studios, and with so they also acquire the North American operations of Virgin Interactive.
JTS Corp. (Atari Corporation) files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Hasbro Interactive acquires the Atari brand and property from JTS in May. They also acquire MicroProse in August.
Square Co. and Electronic Arts form Square Electronic Arts LLC to publish a wealth of Square Co. titles in the U.S.
Havas, a subsidiary of Vivendi, acquires Cendant Software, which includes Sierra On-Line and Blizzard Entertainment.
Lego Media established by Lego Group
New companies: BreakAway, Elixir, Metro3D, Rockstar, Sunrise, Troika, WildTangent, Loki, Retro Studios
Defunct: DWANGO

Games released in 1998

Release date	Title	Platforms	Genres	Ref
January 5	Robotron 64	N64	Shoot 'em up
January 8	No One Can Stop Mr. Domino!	PS1	Puzzle
January 12	Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes	Arcade	Fighting
January 21	Resident Evil 2	PS1	Survival horror
January 22	Machi	SAT	Visual novel
January 29	Bomberman World	PS1	Action, maze
January 29	Bust a Groove	PS1	Music, Fighting
January 29	Panzer Dragoon Saga	SAT	Action-adventure, RPG
February 6	Skullmonkeys	PS1	Platformer
February 9	James Bond 007	GB	Action-adventure
February 11	Xenogears	PS1	RPG
February 23	Metal Slug 2	Arcade	Run and gun
February 24	Gex: Enter the Gecko	PS1	Platformer
February 26	Burning Rangers	SAT	Action, TPS
February 26	Tenchu: Stealth Assassins	PS1	Action-adventure, Stealth
February 26	X-Men vs. Street Fighter: EX Edition	PS1	Fighting
February 28	1080° Snowboarding	N64	Racing
February 28	Battlezone	WIN	FPS, RTS
February 28	ReBoot	PS1	Action
February 28	Star Wars: Rebellion	WIN	RTS
March 9	Wario Land II	GB	Platformer
March 20	Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers	Arcade	Fighting
March 25	Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit	PS1, WIN	Racing
March 26	Dungeon Master Nexus	SAT	RPG
March 26	The House of the Dead	SAT	Rail shooter
March 26	The King of Fighters '97	SAT	Fighting
March 26	Tekken 3	PS1	Fighting
March 29	Parasite Eve	PS1	Action RPG
March 31	Blasto	PS1	TPS
March 31	StarCraft	WIN	RTS
March 31	Warhammer: Dark Omen	WIN	RTT
April 4	Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die	SAT	Tactical RPG, Dating sim, Visual novel	url=http://sakura-taisen.com/game/databace/sakura_2.html	script-title=ja:サクラ大戦.com ゲームタイトル紹介 – サクラ大戦2～君、死にたもうことなかれ～	language=ja	publisher=Sakura Wars Portal Site	access-date=February 24, 2019	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719163020/http://sakura-taisen.com/game/databace/sakura_2.html	archive-date=July 19, 2014	url-status=dead }}
April 7	Warhammer: Dark Omen	PS1	RTT
April 9	G-Darius	PS1	Shoot 'em up
April 14	GT 64: Championship Edition	N64	Racing
April 17	Puyo Puyo Sun	WIN	Puzzle
April 29	Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers	NEO	Fighting
April 29	Shining Force III Scenario 2 – Target: Child of God	SAT	Tactical RPG
April 29	Super Tempo	SAT	Platformer
April 30	Bomberman Hero	N64	Platformer
April 30	Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven	WIN	RPG
May 7	Jazz Jackrabbit 2	WIN	Platformer
May 13	Redneck Rampage Rides Again	WIN	FPS
May 19	World Cup 98	PS1, WIN, N64	Sports (soccer)
May 21	Baroque	SAT	RPG
May 22	Unreal	WIN	FPS
May 28	Radiant Silvergun	Arcade	Shoot 'em up
May 28	The King of Fighters '97	PS1	Fighting
June 4	Atelier Marie Plus	PS1	RPG
June 4	International Superstar Soccer 98	N64	Sports (soccer)
June 4	Vigilante 8	PS1	Vehicular combat
June 5	Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War	WIN	Space combat simulation
June 11	Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix	PS1	Fighting
June 12	Wetrix	N64	Puzzle
June 24	Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines	WIN	RTT
June 25	Castlevania: Symphony of the Night	SAT	Action-adventure
June 29	Banjo-Kazooie	N64	Platformer
June 29	Street Fighter Alpha 3	Arcade	Fighting
June 30	Deathtrap Dungeon	WIN	Action-adventure
June 30	Deep Fear	SAT	Survival horror
June 30	N2O: Nitrous Oxide	PS1	Shoot 'em up
July 4	Heart of Darkness	PS1	Platformer
July 9	Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix	SAT	Fighting
July 14	F-Zero X	N64	Racing
July 14	WWF War Zone	PS1	Sports (wrestling)
July 16	Brave Fencer Musashi	PS1	Action RPG
July 16	Hopkins FBI	WIN	Adventure
July 23	The King of Fighters '98	Arcade	Fighting
July 23	Radiant Silvergun	SAT	Shoot 'em up
July 23	Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers	NEOCD	Fighting
July 30	Soulcalibur	Arcade	Fighting
July 30	Star Ocean: The Second Story	PS1	Action RPG
July 31	Urban Assault	WIN	FPS, RTS
July 31	F-1 World Grand Prix	N64	Racing
July 31	Heart of Darkness	WIN	Platformer
July 31	Iggy's Reckin' Balls	N64	Racing
August 1	Gex: Enter the Gecko	N64	Platformer
August 1	Pokémon Stadium	N64	RPG
August 6	Resident Evil: Director's Cut – Dual Shock Version	PS1	Survival horror
August 6	Wachenröder	SAT	Tactical RPG
August 11	WWF War Zone	N64	Sports (wrestling)
August 21	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six	WIN	Tactical shooter
August 25	Madden NFL 99	PS1	Sports (football)
August 27	Black/Matrix	SAT	Tactical RPG
September 3	Metal Gear Solid	PS1	Action-adventure, Stealth
September 9	NASCAR 99	N64	Racing	url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/09/17/n64-games-in-september	title=N64 Games in September	date=September 16, 1998	website=IGN	access-date=February 25, 2019}}
September 9	NFL Blitz	N64	Sports (football)
September 10	NFL Blitz	PS1	Sports (football)
September 10	Spyro the Dragon	PS1	Platformer
September 12	Pokémon Yellow	GB	RPG
September 17	Suikoden	SAT	RPG
September 23	Digital Monster Version S: Digimon Tamers	SAT	Virtual pet
September 23	Madden NFL 99	N64	Sports (football)
September 23	Shining Force III Scenario 3 – Bulzome Rising	SAT	Tactical RPG
September 25	Dragon Warrior Monsters	GBC	RPG
September 26	Dance Dance Revolution	Arcade	Music
September 30	Body Harvest	N64	Action-adventure
September 30	Caesar III	WIN	City builder
September 30	Delta Force	WIN	Tactical shooter
September 30	Gex: Enter the Gecko	WIN	Platformer
September 30	NHL 99	PS1, WIN	Sports (hockey)
September 30	Rogue Trip: Vacation 2012	PS1	Vehicular combat
September 30	Shogo: Mobile Armor Division	WIN	FPS
October 1	MediEvil	PS1	Action-adventure
October 1	NHL 99	N64	Sports (hockey)
October 2	NFL Blitz	WIN	Sports (football)
October 12	Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit	WIN	Racing
October 14	Star Trek: The Next Generation: Klingon Honor Guard	WIN, MAC	FPS
October 21	Turok 2: Seeds of Evil	N64	FPS
October 21	Tetris DX	GBC	Puzzle
October 21	Wario Land II	GBC	Platformer
October 22	Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter	SAT	Fighting
October 28	Grim Fandango	WIN	Adventure	newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle	date=October 27, 1998	first=Laura	last=Evenson	title=Fleshing Out an Idea	url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/1998/10/27/DD89817.DTL	access-date=March 15, 2008	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714224854/http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Fleshing-Out-an-Idea-Day-of-the-Dead-inspires-2982510.php	archive-date=July 14, 2014	url-status=live}}
October 28	Trespasser	WIN	Action-adventure
October 29	Fallout 2	WIN	RPG
October 30	The Fifth Element	WIN, PS1	Action-adventure
October 31	Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome	WIN	RTS
October 31	Apocalypse	PS1	TPS
October 31	Centipede	WIN	Shoot 'em up
October 31	Crash Bandicoot: Warped	PS1	Platformer
October 31	FIFA 99	WIN	Sports (soccer)
October 31	Glover	N64, WIN	Platformer
October 31	Heretic II	WIN	Action-adventure
October 31	NBA Live 99	PS1, WIN	Sports (basketball)
October 31	Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus	PS1, WIN	Platformer
October 31	Railroad Tycoon II	WIN	Business Sim
November 1	Red Comrades Save the Galaxy	WIN	Adventure
November 4	NBA Live 99	N64	Sports (basketball)
November 5	Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill	WIN	Adventure
November 9	SiN	WIN	FPS
November 10	Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA	N64	Racing
November 11	Sonic R	WIN	Racing
November 14	The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard	WIN	Action-adventure
November 19	Half-Life	WIN	FPS
November 20	The Settlers III	WIN	RTS, City builder
November 20	Tomb Raider III	PS1, WIN	Action-adventure
November 21	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	N64	Action-adventure
November 25	Blood II: The Chosen	WIN	FPS
November 27	Puyo Puyo Sun	GBC	Puzzle
November 30	FIFA 99	PS1, N64	Sports (soccer)
December 1	Gex: Enter the Gecko	GBC	Platformer
December 1	Thief: The Dark Project	WIN	Stealth
December 3	Star Wars: Rogue Squadron	WIN	Action
December 4	Magic and Mayhem	WIN	RTS
December 7	Star Wars: Rogue Squadron	N64	Action
December 12	Falcon 4.0	WIN	Air combat simulation
December 12	Hey You, Pikachu!	N64	Virtual pet
December 12	The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	GBC	Action-adventure
December 17	Suikoden II	PS1	RPG
December 18	Mario Party	N64	Party
December 18	Pokémon Trading Card Game	GBC	DCCG
December 18	StarCraft: Brood War	WIN	RTS
December 21	Baldur's Gate	WIN	RPG
December 21	South Park	N64	FPS
December 23	Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon 2	PS1	Roguelike
December 23	Sonic Adventure	DC	Platformer
December 23	Starsiege: Tribes	WIN	FPS
December 28	Myth II: Soulblighter	WIN	RTT
December 31	Akuji the Heartless	PS1	Action-adventure

Notes

References

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