The five best years in video game history counted down: What was the greatest gaming year of all time?
The second half of 2026 will be one of the most anticipated times for video gaming in a long time.
With the recent release of “Star Fox” for Nintendo Switch 2 in addition to “Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” and “Grand Theft Auto VI” coming out later this year, 2026 could be a banner year in the history of video games.
Will it be the best year ever, though?
I highly doubt it, but to see how 2026 will stack up when all is said and done, let’s take a look back at five of the greatest years video games had to offer.
HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS TO APPEAR IN VIDEO GAME AS PART OF CENTENNIAL SEASON
5. 2007
Actor Zac Efron poses with the character Master Chief from the Halo video game universe during the Midnight Madness event at Game Spot in Universal City, Calif., on Sept. 24, 2007. (Mark Davis/Getty Images)
If you needed an idea of how crowded this list is, 2007 just edged out 2017 for this last spot.
It’s hard to find much fault with 2007 as a whole, regardless of the genre.
If you were a big first-person shooter fan, “Halo 3” gave you one of the biggest franchises of the genre (and the one that will appear the most in this list) in the next-generation format, while “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” is one of the most recognized shooters of all time.
‘HALO’ PRODUCER WHO RUNS FOR CONGRESS IS PLAYING RIGHT TO FAIL NOT TO BE IN THE GAME UNTIL TRUMP’S RE-ELECTION.
Games like “Mass Effect” and “BioShock” were Triple-A Action-Action darlings that attracted both critical and commercial appeal (before the franchises milked all their creativity).
He even had games like “Portal” and “Rock Band” that offer a variety of games for fans of all walks of life, and even Nintendo fans found “Super Mario Galaxy,” one of the best titles in the plumber’s archive.
The only thing missing here is a big-time hardware/console release, but from a pure gaming perspective, 2007 can go toe-to-toe with almost any year.
4. 2004
Trisha Chaney and Maria Flores restock the Xbox video game “Halo 2” at the Times Square Toys R Us store in New York on Nov. 9, 2004. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg)
Another year that failed to see a big-time console release (unless you count the Japanese PSP release) but made its mark based solely on its games was 2004.
Similar to 2007, ’04 had a Halo title – this time “Halo 2” – grab the masses with a revolutionary game, but a different sequel made everyone in the PC gaming world go bananas.
“Half-Life 2” was buzzing all over the world for its excellent physics engine, and it’s still one of the most acclaimed games more than 20 years later.
MADDEN 27’S TUSH PUSH TEASE CRIES OUT EVERYTHING WRONG WITH GAMES THAT ARE RELEASED ANNUALLY
Those two games alone would have warranted 2004’s inclusion on this list, but that’s not all.
If you are a fan of GTA, “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” was released in 2004, and many fans still view this game as the culmination of the entire series.
Other highlights from the class of ’04 include “World of Warcraft,” “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II,” “Metal Gear Solid 3” and “Paper Mario: The Millennium Door.”
CES 2026 SHOWSTOPPERS: 10 MUST-SEE GADGETS
Sequel-heavy, sure, but pound for pound, 2004 was one of the most explosive years in sports.
3. 2001
Sega of Japan co-chief executive officer Tetsu Kayama delivers a guest speech as Microsoft founder Bill Gates listens during the opening of the Tokyo Game Show Spring 2001 in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture, on March 30, 2001. (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP)
Okay, I swear this is the last year with a Halo release.
This time, we’re going back to 2001, when the first in the series, “Halo: Combat Evolved,” burst onto the scene and rewrote the entire FPS genre in the process.
IT ONLY TOOK TWO DAYS, BUT SOME TECH BRO ARE ALREADY 82-0 ON THE INTERNET GAME.
And where would Halo – and Microsoft in general – be without the Xbox, which was released on November 15 of that year?
Not to be outdone, Nintendo released its own console, the GameCube, which was underappreciated in its day, but has achieved almost legendary status over time.
A landmark console release and one of the best shooters of all time would be enough for anyone to put this year in the top five, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface.
“Grand Theft Auto III” was released and immediately impressed everyone, creating a new genre of 3D sandbox games that we still play today.
Seriously, every open-world sandbox game you’ve ever played or will ever play is in “GTA III,” so show some respect.
“Super Smash Bros.: Melee,” “Final Fantasy X” and “Metal Gear Solid 2” all brought their franchises into the next generation with grace, and all are still fan favorites in their own right.
It’s hard to believe that there are still two more years left before this one.
2. 1997
The Japanese version of the Nintendo 64 in clear blue is shown with a collection of games next to the Nintendo Classic Mini Nintendo Entertainment System and the Nintendo Classic Mini Super Nintendo console. (Photos by Guillaume Payen/SOPA/LightRocket via Getty Images)
This was as close to a race for first and second place as any ranking list I’ve done while working at OutKick, but I didn’t get to second place in 1997.
No console release? No problem!
You could make the argument that about half a dozen franchises and/or genres reached their peak with releases in ’97.
Do you like first person shooters? Does “GoldenEye 007” for Nintendo 64 work for you?
What about RPGs? Have you ever heard of a PlayStation classic called “Final Fantasy VII”?
Not to mention games like “Diablo,” “Mario Kart 64,” “Star Fox 64” and “Fallout” all came out in 1997.
I could go on, but you get the idea. This year is loaded with probably more unreleased games that are many gamers’ favorites or at least find their way onto a few people’s Mount Rushmores when ranking their favorite games.
1997 is the defining year of the video game genre, and when I start saying it out loud, I almost can’t believe I’ve got another year left, but when you see what year I was thinking of taking the top spot, it’s going to be hard to argue.
1. 1998
Visitors enjoy more than 100 original arcade machines at Retro Gamer 2023 in Zaragoza, Spain, an event that recreates the great arcades from the 1980s. (Nano Calvo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group)
Would it ever be another year?
It might be my ’90s bias, but 1998 is the greatest gaming year of all time, and I feel pretty confident saying that.
Yes, 1997 was a milestone, but 1998 is almost untouchable.
To start things off, what about the most critically acclaimed game ever released in ’98? That would be none other than “Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,” a great game, which they remade not once, but twice for next-generation consoles.
Speaking of consoles, the Sega Dreamcast was released in 1998 as well.
Although it never got the love it deserved during its life cycle, the Dreamcast is one of the most beloved consoles in retrospect and is a cult classic with several games attached to its name that have stood the test of time.
So, that’s it, right? The greatest game of all time and a console that may have been ahead of its time?
Not a chance!
“Banjo-Kazooie,” “Half-Life,” “Metal Gear Solid,” “StarCraft,” “Resident Evil 2” and “Baldur’s Gate” were ALL released in the same year.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE DOD’S DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Is it enough? Well, let me ask you this: are you a Pokemon fan?
Both “Pokemon Red” and “Pokemon Blue” were introduced to the unsuspecting public in ’98.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Whichever way you slice it, it’s hard to argue with any other year taking this top spot, even if I welcome any arguments to the contrary.
What was your favorite year in video games? Let me know in the comments below.
