Popular Mechanics (2019-2020)

The Best Video Game the Year You Were Born
Publication Region: North America
Published: January 14, 2019 (Original Article) / December 1, 2019 (Most Recent Update)
Cut-Off: December 31, 2019

Popular Mechanics’s “The Best Video Game the Year You Were Born” is an unranked list published between 2019 and 2020.

In 2019, a “Best Video Game” and at least one “Honorable Mention” were selected for each year between 1971-2018. New titles from 2019 were added to the list in December 2019 before it was discontinued in 2021.

Original Article: Games Published in 1971-2018

• 1971 – The Oregon Trail
• Honorable Mention – Computer Space

• 1972 – Pong
• Honorable Mention – Hunt the Wumpus

• 1973 – Space Race
• Honorable Mention – Empire

• 1974 – Maze War
• Honorable Mention – Gran Trak 10
• Honorable Mention – Spasim

• 1975 – Gun Fight
• Honorable Mention – Pedit5 (AKA The Dungeon)
• Honorable Mention – Shark Jaws

• 1976 – Breakout
• Honorable Mention – Colossal Cave Adventure
• Honorable Mention – Heavyweight Champ

• 1977 – Zork
• Honorable Mention – Combat
• Honorable Mention – Indy 500

• 1978 – Space Invaders
• Honorable Mention – Football
• Honorable Mention – Orbit

• 1979 – Asteroids
• Honorable Mention – Galaxian

• 1980 – Pac-Man
• Honorable Mention – Game & Watch
• Honorable Mention – Space Panic

• 1981 – Donkey Kong
• Honorable Mention – Defender
• Honorable Mention – Frogger
• Honorable Mention – Galaga
• Honorable Mention – Ms. Pac-Man

• 1982 – Pitfall!
• Honorable Mention – Dig Dug
• Honorable Mention – Joust
• Honorable Mention – Pole Position
• Honorable Mention – Qbert

• 1983 – Dragon’s Lair
• Honorable Mention – Mario Bros.
• Honorable Mention – Star Wars (Arcade)

• 1984 – Tetris
• Honorable Mention – Duck Hunt
• Honorable Mention – Excitebike

• 1985 – Super Mario Bros.
• Honorable Mention – Gauntlet
• Honorable Mention – Ice Climber
• Honorable Mention – Paperboy

• 1986 – The Legend of Zelda
• Honorable Mention – Bubble Bobble
• Honorable Mention – Castlevania
• Honorable Mention – Metroid
• Honorable Mention – Rampage

• 1987 – Final Fantasy
• Honorable Mention – Double Dragon
• Honorable Mention – Mega Man
• Honorable Mention – Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
• Honorable Mention – Tecmo Bowl
  Ranked As: Tecmo Bowl (Series)

• 1988 – Super Mario Bros. 3
• Honorable Mention – Ghouls N Ghosts
• Honorable Mention – Ninja Gaiden (1988)

• 1989 – SimCity
• Honorable Mention – Final Fight
• Honorable Mention – Mother (AKA EarthBound Beginnings)

• 1990 – Super Mario World
• Honorable Mention – F-Zero
• Honorable Mention – The Secret of Monkey Island

• 1991 – Sonic the Hedgehog
• Honorable Mention – Civilization
• Honorable Mention – Final Fantasy IV (AKA Final Fantasy II [US])
• Honorable Mention – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• Honorable Mention – Street Fighter II

• 1992 – Mortal Kombat
• Honorable Mention – Ecco the Dolphin
• Honorable Mention – Super Mario Kart
• Honorable Mention – Wolfenstein 3D

• 1993 – Doom (1993)
• Honorable Mention – Day of the Tentacle
• Honorable Mention – NBA Jam
  Ranked As: NBA Jam (Series)
• Honorable Mention – Secret of Mana
• Honorable Mention – Star Fox

• 1994 – Donkey Kong Country
• Honorable Mention – Earthbound
• Honorable Mention – Earthworm Jim
• Honorable Mention – Final Fantasy VI (AKA Final Fantasy III [US])

• 1995 – Chrono Trigger
• Honorable Mention – Full Throttle
• Honorable Mention – Twisted Metal

• 1996 – Pokemon Blue/Red/Yellow
  Ranked As: Pokemon Blue/Red/Yellow (1998) / Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen (2004)
• Honorable Mention – Crash Bandicoot
• Honorable Mention – Diablo
• Honorable Mention – Quake
• Honorable Mention – Super Mario 64
• Honorable Mention – Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
• Honorable Mention – Tomb Raider (1996)

• 1997 – Final Fantasy VII
• Honorable Mention – Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
• Honorable Mention – Diddy Kong Racing
• Honorable Mention – GoldenEye 007
• Honorable Mention – Gran Turismo
• Honorable Mention – Star Fox 64

• 1998 – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• Honorable Mention – Banjo-Kazooie
• Honorable Mention – Grim Fandango
• Honorable Mention – Half-Life
• Honorable Mention – Metal Gear Solid
• Honorable Mention – StarCraft

• 1999 – Super Smash Bros.
• Honorable Mention – EverQuest
• Honorable Mention – Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal
  Ranked As: Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal (2000) / Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver (2010)
• Honorable Mention – System Shock 2

• 2000 – The Sims
• Honorable Mention – Counter-Strike
• Honorable Mention – Diablo II
• Honorable Mention – Perfect Dark

• 2001 – Halo: Combat Evolved
• Honorable Mention – Grand Theft Auto III
• Honorable Mention – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
  Ranked As: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (Series)

• 2002 – Metroid Prime
• Honorable Mention – The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
• Honorable Mention – Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
• Honorable Mention – Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos

• 2003 – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• Honorable Mention – Call of Duty
• Honorable Mention – The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

• 2004 – Half-Life 2
• Honorable Mention – Fable
• Honorable Mention – World of Warcraft

• 2005 – Resident Evil 4
• Honorable Mention – God of War (2005)
• Honorable Mention – Guitar Hero
  Ranked As: Guitar Hero (Series)
• Honorable Mention – Shadow of the Colossus

• 2006 – Gears of War
• Honorable Mention – The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• Honorable Mention – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• Honorable Mention – Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

• 2007 – BioShock
• Honorable Mention – Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• Honorable Mention – Portal
• Honorable Mention – Super Mario Galaxy

• 2008 – Fallout 3
• Honorable Mention – Dead Space
• Honorable Mention – Grand Theft Auto IV
• Honorable Mention – Left 4 Dead
• Honorable Mention – Spelunky

• 2009 – Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Honorable Mention – Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Honorable Mention – Borderlands
• Honorable Mention – Demon’s Souls

• 2010 – Red Dead Redemption
• Honorable Mention – Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
• Honorable Mention – Civilization V
• Honorable Mention – Mass Effect 2
• Honorable Mention – Super Mario Galaxy 2

• 2011 – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Honorable Mention – Dark Souls
• Honorable Mention – Minecraft
• Honorable Mention – Portal 2

• 2012 – Journey
• Honorable Mention – Diablo III
• Honorable Mention – Fez
• Honorable Mention – Hotline Miami
• Honorable Mention – The Walking Dead

• 2013 – Grand Theft Auto V
• Honorable Mention – BioShock Infinite
• Honorable Mention – Fire Emblem: Awakening
• Honorable Mention – Gone Home
• Honorable Mention – The Last of Us

• 2014 – Bayonetta 2
• Honorable Mention – Destiny
• Honorable Mention – Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
• Honorable Mention – Mario Kart 8
• Honorable Mention – Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

• 2015 – Bloodborne
• Honorable Mention – Rocket League
• Honorable Mention – Undertale
• Honorable Mention – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

• 2016 – Overwatch
• Honorable Mention – Battlefield 1
• Honorable Mention – Final Fantasy XV
• Honorable Mention – Stardew Valley

• 2017 – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Honorable Mention – Cuphead
• Honorable Mention – Sonic Mania
• Honorable Mention – Super Mario Odyssey

• 2018 – Into the Breach
• Honorable Mention – Celeste
• Honorable Mention – Deltarune
• Honorable Mention – God of War (2018)
• Honorable Mention – Monster Hunter: World
• Honorable Mention – Red Dead Redemption 2
• Honorable Mention – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Update: Games Published in 2019

• 2019 – Untitled Goose Game
• Honorable Mention – Death Stranding
• Honorable Mention – Fire Emblem: Three Houses
• Honorable Mention – Pokemon Sword / Shield
• Honorable Mention – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
• Honorable Mention – Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order