1997 in video games

none March 2016 1997 video games August 2022 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 (overtaking the Game Boy and Sega Saturn). 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. Legend main platform 3 Arcade DOS GB N64 NEO NEOCD NES PCFX PS1 SAT SNES WIN main genre none 3 Action Action-adventure Fighting FPS Platformer Puzzle Racing Rhythm Roguelike RPG RTS Shooter Simulation Sports Tactical RPG Virtual pet Hardware thumb|Game.com Date SystemRef ReferenceMarch 1Nintendo 64EU Europe/AU AustraliaN64 Launches in Europe Saturday https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/03/01/n64-launches-in-europe-saturday IGN 1997-03-01 2026-02-01 en I. G. N. Staff March 1997 The Wait Is Over... https://archive.org/details/hyper-041/page/n13/mode/2up Hyper Australia nextmedia 2026-02-01 14April 25Dual Analog ControllerJP Japan振動機構を標準装備したアナログコントローラ 発売 http://scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/970311.pdf Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 2026-02-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20110908193948/http://scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/970311.pdf 2011-09-08 March 11, 1997 Analog controller with vibration mechanism as standard equipment released jaAnalog Joypad To Go On Sale In Japan https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/04/04/analog-joypad-to-go-on-sale-in-japan IGN 1997-04-04 2026-02-01 en I. G. N. StaffSeptember 12Game.comNA North AmericaJohnston Chris September 12, 1997 Tiger's Game.com Pounces https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tigers-gamecom-pounces/1100-2467650/ 2026-02-01 GameSpot Article date is mislabeled as April 26, 2000; the correct date can be viewed by the article's headline on this page.October 20New-style Super NESNA North AmericaFebruary 2026November 20DualShock controllerJP Japanhttp://scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/970924.pdf ２種類の振動を再現できる アナログコントローラ“DUAL SHOCK”発売 Release of the analog controller "DUAL SHOCK," which can reproduce two types of vibrations Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. September 24, 1997 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110908193948/http://scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/970924.pdf September 8, 2011 2026-02-01 ja http://maru-chang.com/hard/scph/index.php/english SCPH maru-chang.org 2026-02-01 2006-05-12 https://web.archive.org/web/20060512173457/http://maru-chang.com/hard/scph/index.php/english livehttps://www.ign.com/articles/the-evolution-of-the-playstation-controller The Evolution of the PlayStation Controller IGN.com 2026-02-01 Discontinued Date SystemApril 30Game GearUnknownGenesis/Mega Drive Top-rated games Game of the Year awards The following titles won Game of the Year awards for 1997. Awards Game of the Year Platform(s) Genre Publisher Ref ReferenceCESA AwardsFinal Fantasy VIIPS1RPGSquaresoft「CESA大賞'97」受賞作品一覧 "CESA Awards '97" Winners List https://awards.cesa.or.jp/1997/jyushou.html live 2021-10-27 Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) ja https://web.archive.org/web/20030628152447/http://awards.cesa.or.jp:80/1997/jyushou.html June 28, 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival1997 Japan Media Arts Festival Awards http://archive.j-mediaarts.jp/en/festival/1997/digital-art-interactive/#award March 1, 2009 Japan Media Arts Plaza, Agency for Cultural Affairs jaElectronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)SonyMarch 1998 Readers' Choice Awards Electronic Gaming Monthly 104 100Game Informer2 January 2017 25 Years Of Game Informer's GOTY Awards https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/01/02/looking-back-at-25-years-of-game-informer-s-goty-awards.aspx?PostPageIndex=1 live https://web.archive.org/web/20171230060137/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/01/02/looking-back-at-25-years-of-game-informer-s-goty-awards.aspx?PostPageIndex=1 30 December 2017 29 December 2017 Game InformerGameProJuly 1998 You Have Spoken! https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_108_July_1998/page/n39/mode/2up GamePro 118 38–9HyperJanuary 1999 The Hyper Reader Awards 97-98 https://archive.org/details/hyper-063/page/38/mode/2up Hyper 63 38–41Origins AwardsJuly 6, 1998 Origins Awards winners http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/press/press.449.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20141213220137/http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/press/press.449.html December 13, 2014 December 29, 2011 Origins Awards, RPGnetElectronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)GoldenEye 007N64FPSNintendoMarch 1998 Editors' Choice Awards Electronic Gaming Monthly Ziff Davis 104 86–96Interactive Achievement AwardsAcademy of Interactive Arts & Science Game of the Year 1997 http://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=1998&idGameAwardType=71 26 August 2015 Academy of Interactive Arts & SciencesVideoGame Advisorhttps://books.google.com/books?id=Wx9JAAAAIBAJ&dq=wilton+magazine+games+goldeneye&pg=PA9&article_id=4271,484486 Wilton Magazine Gives Awards Dec 10, 1997 The Wilton Bulletin en the awards go to: Best Overall Game — GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo); Best Nintendo 64 Game — GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo);Electronic Playground1998-02-11 Electric Playground: FEATURE - EP's Best of 1997: The "Blister" Awards - Pg. 1 http://www.elecplay.com/feature/best97/best97-1.html#one 2024-10-08 Electronic Playground https://web.archive.org/web/19980211210831/http://www.elecplay.com/feature/best97/best97-1.html#one February 11, 1998 Game of the Year Winner - GoldenEye (Nintendo 64) - His name's Bond, James Bond. And our name is absolutely hooked on his game. Rare Entertainment hit the stratosphere with this one. With tons of detailed missions and multiplayer games that were impossible to stop playing, Goldeneye became the title that halted production at EP.GameProNintendo PowerMay 1998 Nintendo Power Issue 108: Power Award Winners https://archive.org/details/NintendoPower1988-2004/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20108%20(May%201998) 2024-10-08 Nintendo Power The Best Games of 1997: GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64) - With more than 5 times the number of votes of second place Diddy Kong Racing, the Game of the year proved to be GoldenEye 007DigitiserSuper Mario 64N64PlatformerNintendo13 January 1998 Digitiser's Top Games of 1997 Digitiser http://www.superpage58.com/digitiser-vault-teletext-screenshot-image-archive-1998-01-13.htm 19 October 2021Golden Joystick Awards14 January 1998 1997 Golden Joysticks Awards: The Winners! https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_195_1998-02_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n5 Computer and Video Games 195 (February 1998) 6Computer Gaming World Premier AwardsDiabloThough usually considered a 1997 release, Computer Gaming World extended its eligibility to games released early in the following calendar year, allowing Diablo to win the award for games released in 1996. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II won the next year's award for games released in 1997.WIN / DOS Action RPG BlizzardMay 1997 The Computer Gaming World 1997 Premier Awards https://archive.org/details/cgw_museum_pdfs/cgw_154/page/n72 Computer Gaming World 154 69Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces IIFPSLucasArtsMarch 1998 CGW Presents The Best & Worst of 1997 https://archive.org/details/cgw_museum_pdfs/cgw_164/page/n77 Computer Gaming World 164 75GameSpotTotal AnnihilationWIN / DOSRTSCavedog13 February 1998 GameSpot PC Game of the Year 1997 http://gamespot.com/features/awards97/game.html https://web.archive.org/web/19980213094308/http://gamespot.com/features/awards97/game.html 13 February 1998 28 August 2012Gamest AwardsVampire Savior (Darkstalkers 3)ArcadeFightingCapcomJapan Media Arts FestivalIntelligent Qube (I.Q. / Kurushi)PS1PuzzleSonyOrigins AwardsSid Meier's Gettysburg!WIN / DOSWargameElectronic ArtsTomb RaiderAction-adventureEidos Interactive Critically acclaimed titles Metacritic and GameRankings Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) 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. + 1997 games and expansions scoring at least 88/100 (MC) or 87.5% (GR)Best Video Games for 1997 https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/year/all/filtered?sort=desc&year_selected=1997 February 18, 2019 MetacriticHighest-Ranking Games of 1997 (with at least 5 reviews) https://www.gamerankings.com/browse.html?site=&cat=0&year=1997&numrev=4&sort=0&letter=&search= August 6, 2019 GameRankings Game Publisher Release Date Platform(s) MC score GR score Gran Turismo Sony Computer Entertainment December 23, 1997 PS1 96/100Best Video Games for 1998 https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/year/all/filtered?sort=desc&year_selected=1998 February 17, 2019 Metacritic 94.95%Highest-Ranking Games of 1998 (with at least 20 reviews) http://www.gamerankings.com/browse.html?site=&cat=0&year=1998&numrev=0&sort=0&letter=&search= dead https://web.archive.org/web/20161007001158/http://www.gamerankings.com/browse.html?site=&cat=0&year=1998&numrev=0&sort=0&letter=&search= 2016-10-07 February 25, 2019 GameRankings GoldenEye 007 Nintendo August 25, 1997 N64 96/100 94.7% Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Konami March 20, 1997 PS1 93/100 93.03% Final Fantasy VII Square January 31, 1997 PS1 92/100 92.35% Dungeon Keeper Electronic Arts June 26, 1997 WIN / DOS 92.2% Diablo Blizzard Entertainment January 3, 1997 WIN / DOS 94/100 89.07% Colony Wars Psygnosis October 31, 1997 PS1 91/100 92.09% Sid Meier's Gettysburg! Electronic Arts October 14, 1997 WIN / DOS 92/100 91%Sid Meier's Gettysburg! for PC https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/198639-sid-meiers-gettysburg/index.html August 6, 2019 GameRankings Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II LucasArts October 10, 1997 WIN / DOS 91/100 88.69% Myth: The Fallen Lords Bungie November 7, 1997 WIN / DOS 91/100 80.8% Blast Corps Nintendo March 21, 1997 N64 90/100 88.87% NFL GameDay 98 Sony Computer Entertainment September 4, 1997 PS1 90% Fallout Interplay Productions October 10, 1997 WIN / DOS 89/100 89.69% Carmageddon Sales Curve Interactive June 13, 1997 WIN / DOS 89.6% Formula 1 97 Psygnosis September 26, 1997 PS1 89.43% MDK Playmates Interactive May 5, 1997 WIN / DOS 89.2% Star Fox 64 Nintendo April 27, 1997 N64 88/100 89.01% The Curse of Monkey Island LucasArts November 1, 1997 WIN / DOS 89/100 89% Einhänder Square November 20, 1997 PS1 89/100 85% Total Annihilation GT Interactive September 26, 1997 WIN / DOS 86/100 88.85% Diddy Kong Racing Rare November 21, 1997 N64 88/100 88.65% Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back Sony Computer Entertainment October 31, 1997 PS1 88.54% Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee GT Interactive September 18, 1997 PS1 85/100 87.94% Madden NFL 98 EA Sports August 26, 1997 SAT 87.90%Madden NFL '98 Reviews http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/574698.asp October 14, 2025 GameRankings https://web.archive.org/web/20041027204846/http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/574698.asp 2004-10-27 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.週刊ファミ通クロスレビュープラチナ殿堂入りソフト一覧 Weekly Famitsu Cross Review Platinum Hall of Fame Software List http://geimin.net/da/db/cross_review/index.php dead https://web.archive.org/web/20081027205828/http://geimin.net/da/db/cross_review/index.php October 27, 2008 24 February 2021 Geimin ja TitlePlatformDeveloperPublisherGenreScore (out of 40)Final Fantasy VIIPS1SquaresoftSquaresoftRPG38Final Fantasy VII InternationalPS1SquaresoftSquaresoftRPG37Tobal 2PS1DreamFactorySquaresoftFighting36Star Fox 64N64Nintendo EADNintendoRail shooter36Derby StallionPS1ASCII CorporationASCII CorporationSimulation35Gran TurismoPS1Polys EntertainmentSonyRacing (sim)35 Financial performance Highest-grossing arcade games in Japan In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1997. Rank Gamest第11回 ゲーメスト大賞 11th Gamest Awards Gamest December 26, 1997 212 (January–February 1998) 34–102 ja alternate url Game MachineAkagi Masumi "Tekken 3", "Virtua Fighter 3" Top Videos Game Machine 557 Amusement Press, Inc. 1 February 1998 22 https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19980201p.pdf#page=12TitleManufacturerGenre TitleManufacturer Type Points1Virtua Fighter 3SegaFightingPrint Club 2AtlusOther40682Tekken 3NamcoFightingVirtua Fighter 3SegaDedicated39953X-Men vs. Street FighterCapcomFightingTekken 3NamcoPCB37574Street Fighter III: New GenerationCapcomFightingVirtual On: Cyber TroopersSegaDedicated29695Vampire Savior (Darkstalkers 3)CapcomFightingX-Men vs. Street FighterCapcomPCB27766Samurai Spirits 4: Amakusa KōrinSNKFightingPuzzle Bobble 3TaitoPCB26267Real Bout Garō Densetsu SpecialSNKFightingDensha de Go!TaitoDedicated26148Virtual On: Cyber TroopersSegaShooterTime CrisisNamcoDedicated24599The King of Fighters '97SNKFightingGallop RacerTecmoPCB242010DoDonPachiAtlusBullet hellRave RacerNamcoDedicated2399 Best-selling video game consoles RankManufacturerGame consoleTypeGenerationSalesJapanUnited StatesWorldwide1SonyPS1Home32-bit5,050,000+31 December 2003 Cumulative Production Shipments of Hardware / PlayStation http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps_e.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20040422075722/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps_e.html 2004-04-22 2021-12-25 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Sony6,750,000+17,200,000+2NintendoGBHandheld8-bit4,220,00010,370,0003NintendoN64Home64-bit1,110,000September 2012 Consolidated Sales Transition by Region http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1209.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20121030031244/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1209.pdf 2012-10-30 2021-12-26 Nintendo Nintendo Co., Ltd.Clements Matthew T. Ohashi Hiroshi October 2004 Indirect Network Effects and the Product Cycle: Video Games in the U.S., 1994–2002 http://www.netinst.org/Clements_Ohashi.pdf#page=25 live https://web.archive.org/web/20160307012843/http://www.netinst.org/Clements_Ohashi.pdf March 7, 2016 September 21, 2011 NET Institute 12, 249,420,0004NintendoSNESHome16-bit190,000,0002,040,0005SegaSATHome32-bit800,000小川 (Ogawa) 純生 (Sumio) 2010-12-14 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— Recent Developments in Video Game Technology in Japan — Famicom, Super Famicom, Play Station, Play Station 2 and Wii — http://www.toyo.ac.jp/uploaded/attachment/3049.pdf 経営論集 (Keiei Ronshū) ja March 2011 77 1–17 (2) 0286-6439 https://web.archive.org/web/20150725185700/http://www.toyo.ac.jp/uploaded/attachment/3049.pdf 2015-07-25 2021-12-06 Toyo University Academic Information Repository (Toyo University),0001,800,000Annual Report 1998 Sega Enterprises, Ltd. 1998 7 Consumer Products 25 December 2021 https://segaretro.org/images/f/fe/AnnualReport1998_English.pdf#page=9Fontaine Gilles 5 February 1997 Jeux vidéo : une industrie lourde est née fr Video games: a heavy industry is born L'Express https://lexpansion.lexpress.fr/actualite-economique/jeux-video-une-industrie-lourde-est-nee_1409552.html 25 December 20216SegaGENHome16-bit,000478,000+7NintendoNESHome8-bit30,000,000111,0008NECPCFXHome32-bit30,00030,000 Best-selling home video games Final Fantasy VII was the best-selling home video game worldwide in 1997.Classic Videogame Hardware Genius Guide Imagine Publishing 978-1-908222-22-0 492 https://books.google.com/books?id=QZS_gXpshd4C&pg=PT492 It sold more than 6 million copies worldwide by 1998, becoming the best-selling PlayStation game up until then.The Oriental Economist Report 1998 Toyo Keizai 16 https://books.google.com/books?id=HvazAAAAIAAJ Square's Final Fantasy VII software has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest selling Playstation software. The following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games (console games or computer games) of 1997 in Japan and the United States. Rank Title Platform Sales Japan United StatesJohnston, Chris 22 December 1997 Give It 21 Days, It'll Give You a Million http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_12/22_diddymil/index.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000305024359/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_12/22_diddymil/index.html 5 March 2000 16 October 2021 GameSpot Combined1Final Fantasy VIIPS13,447,500+1,500,000+Thompson Adam 22 October 1997 The pain of addiction 9 Oshkosh Advance-Titan University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh https://newspaperarchive.com/oshkosh-advance-titan-oct-22-1997-p-9/ subscription 9 April 2022 Last month Final Fantasy VII hit the stores and sold 1.5 million copies the first week.4,947,500+2Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / BlueGB3,995,988 3,995,9883Mario Kart 64N64731,3851,000,000+1,731,385+4Derby StallionPS11,581,138 1,581,1385Star Fox 64N64373,4791,000,000+1,373,479+6Super Mario 64N64361,3021,000,000+1,361,302+7Minna no Golf (Everybody's Golf)PS11,327,000 1,327,0008Final Fantasy TacticsPS11,239,000 1,239,0009Diddy Kong RacingN64217,259Famitsū Gēmu Hakusho 1998 Enterbrain 1998 Tokyo ja ja:ファミ通ゲーム白書1998 Famitsu Game Whitebook 1998 1997年ゲームソフト年間売上TOP100 1997 Game Software Annual Sales Top 100 17 February 2021 http://geimin.net/da/db/1997_ne_fa/index.php https://web.archive.org/web/20081227141149/http://geimin.net/da/db/1997_ne_fa/index.php December 27, 2008 dead1,000,000+1,217,259+10SaGa FrontierPS11,057,263 1,057,263 United States In the United States, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1997.Famighetti Robert https://books.google.com/books?id=GA04AAAAMAAJ The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1999 1998 World Almanac Books 978-0-88687-832-0 188 Top-Selling Video Games, 1997 Source: The NPD TRSTS Video Game Tracking Service, The NPD Group, Inc., Port Washington, NY; ranked by units sold https://archive.org/details/worldalmanacbo1999mahw/page/188 registration6 February 1998 US Sales Top 10 for 1997 https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/02/06/us-sales-top-10-for-1997 18 October 2021 IGN30 January 1998 The Top 20 Games of the Year https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/01/30/the-top-20-games-of-the-year 22 October 2021 IGN Rank Title Platform Developer Publisher Genre Sales 1 Mario Kart 64 N64 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Racing (kart) 1,000,000+ 2Star Fox 64 N64 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Rail shooter 1,000,000+ 3 Super Mario 64 N64 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Platformer 1,000,000+ 4 Diddy Kong Racing N64 Rare Rare Racing (kart) 1,000,000+ 5GoldenEye 007 N64 Rare Nintendo FPS 1,000,000+ 6 Final Fantasy VII PS1 Squaresoft Sony RPG 1,500,000+ 7 NFL GameDay 98 PS1 Sony Interactive Sony Sports (football) 8 Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire N64 LucasArts Nintendo Action 9 Madden NFL 98 PS1 Tiburon Entertainment EA Sports Sports (football) 10 Crash Bandicoot PS1 Naughty Dog Sony Platformer Japan In Japan, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1997. Rank Title Platform Developer Publisher Genre Sales Ref Reference 1 Pocket Monsters: Red / Green / Blue GB Game Freak Nintendo RPG 3,995,988 1997 Top 30 Best Selling Japanese Console Games http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-BestSell1997.shtml The Magic Box 24 February 2021 February 18, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070218202258/http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-BestSell1997.shtml dead 2 Final Fantasy VII PS1 Squaresoft Squaresoft RPG 3,447,500+ 96年9月～97年8月 1996.09~1997.08 TV Game Ranking Databook: 1995.9~1998.8 15 December 1998 ベストセラーズ (Bestsellers) 978-4-584-16090-9 17 https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/M/MULTi88/20200928/20200928080910.jpg ja 3 Derby Stallion PS1 ASCII ASCII Simulation 1,581,138 Ohbuchi Yutaka Japan's Top Ten of '97 http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_02/05_japan/index.html 16 September 2021 GameSpot 5 December 1998 dead https://web.archive.org/web/19981205025457/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_02/05_japan/index.html 5 December 1998 4 Minna no Golf (Everybody's Golf) PS1 Camelot Software Planning Sony Sports (golf) 1,327,000 1997年のコンシューマーゲームソフトの売上Top100 1997 Consumer Game Software Sales: Top 100 Dengeki Oh MediaWorks ja http://www.rnac.ne.jp/~zangel/1997.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020106110736/http://www.rnac.ne.jp/~zangel/1997.htm 6 January 2002 16 September 2021 5 Final Fantasy Tactics PS1 Squaresoft Squaresoft Tactical RPG 1,239,000 6 SaGa Frontier PS1 Squaresoft Squaresoft RPG 1,057,263 7 Gran Turismo PS1 Polys Entertainment Sony Racing (sim) 905,000 8 Game de Hakken!! Tamagotchi GB Tom Create Bandai Virtual pet 808,000 9 Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon PS1 Squaresoft Squaresoft Roguelike 801,000 10 PaRappa the Rapper PS1 NanaOn-Sha Sony Rhythm 761,621 United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, the following titles were the top-selling home video games of each month in 1997. Month(s) Title Platform January Die Hard Trilogy Freeplay Computer and Video Games EMAP 184 (March 1997) 12 February 1997 1-16 (1-2) https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_184_1997-03_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n103/mode/2up PS1 February Cool Boarders Freeplay Computer and Video Games EMAP 185 (April 1997) 12 March 1997 1-16 (2-3) https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_185_1997-04_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n101/mode/2up PS1 March Super Mario 64 Freeplay Computer and Video Games EMAP 186 (May 1997) 11 April 1997 1-16 (2-3) https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_186_1997-05_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n101/mode/2up N64 April Wave Race 64 Leisure Software All Formats (ELSPA Charts Compiled by Chart-Track) Digitiser 1 May 1997 http://www.superpage58.com/digitiser-vault-teletext-screenshot-image-archive-1997-05-01.htm 19 October 2021 N64 Micro Machines V3 Freeplay Computer and Video Games EMAP 187 (June 1997) 11 May 1997 1-16 (2-3) https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_187_1997-06_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n101/mode/2up PS1 May Soul Blade Freeplay Computer and Video Games EMAP 189 (August 1997) 11 July 1997 1-16 (2-3) https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_189_1997-08_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n101/mode/2up PS1 June Mario Kart 64 Leisure Software All Formats (ELSPA Charts Compiled by Chart-Track) Digitiser 21 June 1997 http://www.superpage58.com/digitiser-vault-teletext-screenshot-image-archive-1997-06-21.htm 19 October 2021 N64 July International Superstar Soccer 64 Freeplay Computer and Video Games EMAP 190 (September 1997) 13 August 1997 1-16 (2-3) https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_190_1997-09_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n101/mode/2up N64 August V-Rally Freeplay Computer and Video Games EMAP 191 (October 1997) 12 September 1997 1-16 (2-3) https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_191_1997-10_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n101/mode/2upFreeplay Computer and Video Games EMAP 192 (November 1997) 15 October 1997 1-16 (2-3) https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_192_1997-11_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n101/mode/2up PS1 September October Formula 1 97 Freeplay Computer and Video Games EMAP 193 (December 1997) 12 November 1997 1-16 (2-3) https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_193_1997-12_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n117/mode/2up PS1 Lylat Wars Leisure Software All Formats (ELSPA Charts Compiled by Chart-Track) Digitiser 18 October 1997 http://www.superpage58.com/digitiser-vault-teletext-screenshot-image-archive-1997-10-18.htm 19 October 2021 N64 November Final Fantasy VII Leisure Software All Formats (ELSPA Charts Compiled by Chart-Track) Digitiser 27 November 1997 http://www.superpage58.com/digitiser-vault-teletext-screenshot-image-archive-1997-11-27.htm 19 October 2021 PS1 December FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 Leisure Software All Formats (ELSPA Charts Compiled by Chart-Track) Digitiser 31 December 1997 http://www.superpage58.com/digitiser-vault-teletext-screenshot-image-archive-1997-12-31.htm 19 October 2021 PS1, WIN / DOS Events March 6 - Sega opens Sega World Sydney in Australia. It is the second Sega World park to open outside of Japan, with the first opening as part of the London Trocadero the previous year. June 19–21 – The 3rd annual E3 is held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.http://www.ign.com/wikis/e3/Attendance_and_Stats Attendance and Stats June 8, 2012 IGN May 21, 2015 October: Video game retailer FuncoLand opens its first Greater Cincinnati locations.Koenig Angela October 15, 1997 Funco Landstore coming https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60156118/the-cincinnati-enquirer/ The Cincinnati Enquirer Newspapers.com Cincinnati 5 4 – Gunpei Yokoi (1941–1997) dies after a double car accident. November – Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA) launched. December 16 – A scene from the Pokémon anime (based upon the highly successful games) causes 685 Japanese children to have seizures. Nintendo makes a statement proclaiming the safety of the Pokémon games from fear that the games would cause a similar effect, the episode to be permanently removed from circulation, and the featured Pokémon in the episode (Porygon) has not made an appearance in the Pokémon anime since. TSR, Inc., the owner of the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game, was acquired by Wizards of the Coast. 3D Realms begins production of Duke Nukem Forever, winner of numerous vaporware awards. The gaming portal Cool Math Games went online for the first time. Sony releases PlayStation development software for IBM compatible PCs Business April 7 – Warthog Limited foundedWarthog plc AIM placing document http://www.warthog.co.uk/flash/warthog.pdf Warthog Entertainment Software 15 February 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20041116175906/http://www.warthog.co.uk/flash/warthog.pdf 2004-11-16 34 pdf 25 January 2001 dead April 15 – Irem Software Engineering Inc. foundedhttp://www.irem.co.jp/e/company/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20050305080029/http://www.irem.co.jp/e/company/index.html dead March 5, 2005 Company Data March 5, 2005 February 15, 2026 May 5 – Irrational Games LLC foundedIRRATIONAL GAMES, INC. https://corp.sec.state.ma.us/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSearch.aspx Massachusetts Corporations Division Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 2026-02-15 1997-05-05 Requires search for "Irrational Games, Inc." with "Exact match" search type to locate the actual data. June 4 – Electronic Arts Inc. acquires American video game developer MaxisElectronic Arts Acquires Maxis Software https://mergr.com/transaction/electronic-arts-acquires-maxis-software Mergr Mergr 15 February 2026https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/05/business/electronic-arts-will-buy-maxis-in-swap.html Electronic Arts Will Buy Maxis in Swap June 5, 1997 The New York Times live https://web.archive.org/web/20161128135657/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/05/business/electronic-arts-will-buy-maxis-in-swap.html November 28, 2016 August 7 – Activision acquires American video game developer Raven SoftwareKaren Kaplan https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-07-fi-20136-story.html Activision to Expand Game Lineup with Raven Purchase Los Angeles Times August 7, 1997 February 14, 2026 August 14 – Intermetrics. Inc and Looking Glass Studios announce the merger of their gaming operations to form Intermetrics/Looking Glass Studios, LLC.Looking Glass and Intermetrics Merge Computer Game Operations. http://www.lglass.com/c_info/merger.html www.lglass.com Looking Glass Studios 15 February 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/19991103003801/http://www.lglass.com/c_info/merger.html November 3, 1999 August 14, 1997 dead which was renamed to Intermetrics Entertainment Software, LLC on September 17MA Corporations Search Entity Summary https://corp.sec.state.ma.us/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSummary.aspx?sysvalue=NhDvKzhrWYx.OJ51xr5z3JAe_kZZ6aBq.o6BtFVd0gw- corp.sec.state.ma.us Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 15 February 2026 August 28 – Human Head Studios, Inc. formedWisconsin One Stop Business Portal - Search for Business https://onestop.wi.gov/DFIAnnualReports/SearchBusiness Wisconsin One Stop Business Portal State of Wisconsin 2026-02-15 1997-08-28 Requires search for "Human Head Studios, Inc." to locate the actual data. September 19 – 4HEAD Studios created Handelsregisterauszug HRB 56490 – AHEAD Entertainment Software GmbH Handelsregister Amtsgericht Hannover 1997-10-27 https://www.handelsregister.de/rp_web/normalesuche/welcome.xhtml 2026-02-15 Requires search for "AHEAD Entertainment Software" with the "You can also find closed register sheets..." option checked; the actual data is available under the "HD" link in the found entry. November 21 – Conspiracy Entertainment Corporation foundedConspiracy Entertainment Corp. // Corporate Info http://www.conspiracygames.com/pages/cec_corporate_info.html www.conspiracygames.com 15 February 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20071014002355/http://www.conspiracygames.com/pages/cec_corporate_info.html 14 October 2007 deadCONSPIRACY ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION (Entity No. 2061527) https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business California Secretary of State 2026-02-15 1997-11-21 A search for "Conspiracy Entertainment Corporation" is required to locate the data December 2 – Activision acquires British software distributor CentreSoft Ltd.Jebens Harley Activision Grabs CentreSoft https://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-grabs-centresoft/1100-2468224/ GameSpot GameSpot 14 February 2026 1 December 1997 live Article date is mislabeled as April 26, 2000; the correct date can be viewed by the article's headline on this page.Activision Blizzard Acquires CentreSoft https://mergr.com/transaction/activision-blizzard-acquires-centresoft mergr.com Mergr 14 February 2026 December 3 – GameTek files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Form 8-K: Bankruptcy or Receivership https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/913887/0000945414-97-000011.txt U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission SEC 1997-12-04 2025-02-15 and closes its doors in July 1998February 2026 2015 founded 4D Rulers Software, Inc. founded;4D Rulers Company https://www.4drulers.com/company.html www.4drulers.com 4D Rulers Software, Inc 15 February 2026 the company was legally incorporated on January 29, 19984D Rulers Software, Inc. https://www.nebraska.gov/sos/corp/corpsearch.cgi?acct-number=1611682 Nebraska Secretary of State Business Services Nebraska Secretary of State 2026-02-15 1998-01-29 Bungie West formed by Bungie Crave Entertainment, Inc. formed Illusion Softworks, a.s. founded Mythic Entertainment renames itself from Interworld Productions after name dispute with another "Interworld" company THQ renamed from Toy Headquarters, Inc. 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 Date Title Platform Ref Reference(s) January 3 Diablo WIN / DOS October 2025 January 14 Tengai Makyō: Daiyon no Mokushiroku SAT 天外魔境ホームページ：新着情報 http://www.hudson.co.jp/tengai/whatsnew.html www.hudson.co.jp 2026-01-31 https://web.archive.org/web/19970206213733/http://www.hudson.co.jp/tengai/whatsnew.html 1997-02-06 Tengai Makyou Homepage: Latest News January 31 Final Fantasy VII PS1 http://www.jp.square-enix.com/archive/ff7/ ja:ファイナルファンタジーVII / Square Enix ja Square Enix Square Enix February 6, 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20161217173224/http://www.jp.square-enix.com/archive/ff7/ December 17, 2016 live February 5 DoDonPachi SAT, Arcade October 2025 February 10 Mario Kart 64 N64 October 2025 February 27 The Lost Vikings 2 WIN / DOS, SNES, PS1, SAT October 2025 February 28 Blast Corps N64 October 2025 February 28 Independence Day WIN / DOS, PS1, SAT October 2025 February 28 Mega Man 8 PS1, SAT October 2025 February 28 Turok: Dinosaur Hunter WIN / DOS, N64 October 2025 February 28 Interstate '76 WIN / DOS October 2025 March 20 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night PS1 October 2025 March 20 Tekken 3 Arcade October 2025 March 24 Realms of the Haunting (NA) WIN / DOS October 2025 March 26 Vandal Hearts PS1, SAT October 2025 March 30 The Last Express WIN / DOS October 2025 March 31 Need for Speed II WIN / DOS, PS1 October 2025 April 7 Outlaws WIN / DOS October 2025 April 7 Redneck Rampage WIN / DOS October 2025 April 30 Fighters Megamix SAT October 2025 April 30 Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter WIN / DOS October 2025 May 21 Blood WIN / DOS October 2025 May 31 MDK WIN / DOS October 2025 June 10 Ecstatica II WIN / DOS October 2025 June 17 Harvest Moon SNES October 2025 June 20 Sonic Jam SAT October 2025 June 20 Final Fantasy Tactics PS1 October 2025 June 26 Dungeon Keeper WIN / DOS October 2025 June 27 Tamagotchi GB Weekly Famitsu New Game Cross Review July 4, 1997 ASCII Corporation Japanese 446 Hirokazu Hamamura Tsūshin Hamamura Ninja Masuda Watanabe Miki Hada Takayuki 36 June 30 Star Fox 64 N64 October 2025 July 4 Jane's 688(I) Hunter/Killer WIN / DOS October 2025 July 28 The King of Fighters '97 NEO, NEOCD, Arcade October 2025 July 30 Carmageddon WIN / DOS October 2025 July 31 Herc's Adventures PS1, SAT October 2025 July 31 Warlords III: Reign of Heroes WIN / DOS October 2025 August 1 Mega Man X4 PS1, SAT October 2025 August 11 Tetrisphere N64 October 2025 August 25 GoldenEye 007 N64 October 2025 August 25 Shadow Warrior WIN / DOS October 2025 August 26 Madden NFL 98 WIN / DOS, PS1, SAT October 2025 August 31 Imperialism WIN / DOS October 2025 September 9 Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire WIN / DOS October 2025 September 10 Silhouette Mirage SAT October 2025 September 11 Breath of Fire III PS1 October 2025 September 11 Hexen II WIN / DOS October 2025 September 17 Resident Evil WIN / DOS October 2025 September 18 Street Fighter Collection SAT, PS1 October 2025 September 19 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee WIN / DOS, PS1 October 2025 September 24 Ultima Online WIN / DOS October 2025 September 24 Postal WIN / DOS October 2025 September 26 Bomberman 64 N64 October 2025 September 26 LEGO Island WIN / DOS October 2025 September 29 Croc: Legend of the Gobbos WIN / DOS, PS1, SAT October 2025 September 30 Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far WIN / DOS October 2025 September 30 Fallout WIN / DOS October 2025 September 30 Panzer General II WIN / DOS October 2025 September 30 Poy Poy PS1 October 2025 September 30 Total Annihilation WIN / DOS October 2025 October Combat Chess WIN / DOS October 2025 October 9 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II WIN / DOS October 2025 October 15 Age of Empires WIN / DOS October 2025 October 15 Mortal Kombat 4 N64, Arcade October 2025 October 23 Steep Slope Sliders SAT October 2025 October 28 Shipwreckers WIN / DOS, PS1 October 2025 October 29 Riven WIN / DOS, SAT, PS1 October 2025 October 30 Culdcept SAT October 2025 October 31 The Curse of Monkey Island WIN / DOS October 2025 October 31 Zork: Grand Inquisitor WIN / DOS October 2025 November Independence War WIN / DOS October 2025 November 1 Shock Troopers NEO, Arcade October 2025 November 4 Colony Wars PS1 October 2025 November 6 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back PS1 November 6, 1997 Crash's Second Coming Has Arrived http://www.psxnation.com/news/1106a.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/19980118044633fw_/http://www.psxnation.com/news/1106a.html January 18, 1998 October 23, 2025 PSN News Story November 14 Blade Runner WIN / DOS October 2025 November 17 Sonic R SAT October 2025 November 18 Tomb Raider II WIN / DOS, PS1 October 2025 November 21 Diddy Kong Racing N64 October 2025 November 21 Worms 2 WIN / DOS October 2025 November 25 Myth: The Fallen Lords WIN / DOS October 2025 November 27 Kirby's Dream Land 3 SNES October 2025 November 27 Grand Theft Auto WIN / DOS, PS1 October 2025 November 30 FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 WIN / DOS, N64, PS1, SAT October 2025 November 30 One PS1 October 2025 November 30 Wing Commander: Prophecy WIN / DOS October 2025 November 30 WCW vs. nWo: World Tour N64 October 2025 December Puzzle Bobble 4 Arcade October 2025 December 6 Quake II WIN / DOS, PS1 October 2025 December 11 Klonoa: Door to Phantomile PS1 October 2025 December 18 Grandia SAT October 2025 December 18 Mega Man Legends PS1 October 2025 December 21 Yoshi's Story N64 October 2025 December 23 Auto Destruct PS1 http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/playstation-ps1/00001136-auto-destruct.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20180521191814/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/playstation-ps1/00001136-auto-destruct.htm Auto Destruct sur PlayStation French Jeuxvideo.com 21 May 2018 10 May 2026 dead December 23 Gran Turismo PS1 October 2025 December 31 Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero N64 October 2025 Unknown 7 Wonders WIN October 2025 See also 1997 in games References External links Category:Video games by year