Best Video Games of 1992

The perfect Sonic game. Sonic 2 introduced Tails, the Spin Dash, and the greatest collection of stages in franchise history while refining the speed formula to its absolute peak.

The greatest beat-em-up ever made. Streets of Rage 2 combined technical brawling combat with a roster of distinct fighters, excellent level design, and Yuzo Koshiro's legendary techno soundtrack to produce a masterwork of the genre.

The game that invented kart racing. Super Mario Kart's Mode 7 pseudo-3D tracks, item combat, and eight beloved characters launched one of gaming's most enduring and beloved racing franchises.

The definitive TMNT game and one of the greatest beat-em-ups ever made. Turtles in Time sends Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael through time periods from prehistoric prehistory to the distant future, delivering relentless two-player co-op action that still holds up perfectly today.

The pinnacle of Final Fantasy's job system. Final Fantasy V gives players unprecedented freedom to mix and match abilities across 22 job classes, creating endlessly creative character builds. Its lighthearted story belies a deeply strategic RPG that rewards experimentation and mastery.

The SNES Contra masterpiece. Contra III: The Alien Wars brought the series into the 16-bit era with spectacular Mode 7 boss battles, dual weapon wielding, and relentless action that matched the hardware's capabilities.

Sega's answer to Fire Emblem — Shining Force's tactical grid-based battles, charming ensemble cast of 30 recruitable characters, and memorable chapter structure made it the Genesis's defining strategy RPG.

The Game Boy masterpiece that introduced Wario to the world. Super Mario Land 2 massively expanded on its predecessor with a large overworld, six distinct zones, and the Bunny Ears and Carrot power-up that let Mario float. The final showdown with Wario in Mario's own castle is one of gaming's great villain reveals.

The Genesis's greatest horizontal shoot-em-up. Thunder Force IV's multi-layer scrolling backgrounds, flexible weapon system, and punishing difficulty created the definitive shmup experience of the Genesis era — and its heavy metal soundtrack featuring legendary tracks like Lightning Strikes Again remains the platform's finest game music.

The SNES two-player overhead shooter starring a shrine maiden and a tanuki — one of the platform's finest cooperative action games. Pocky & Rocky's fluid character movement, clever enemy patterns, and satisfying weapon system made it a cult classic that commanded premium prices for decades before its re-release. Japanese folklore aesthetics in an action game format done brilliantly.

The isometric action RPG that challenged Zelda on Genesis hardware — Nigel the treasure hunter explores 20+ dungeons in an isometric perspective with precise platforming, clever puzzles, and one of the Genesis's best stories.

The arcade sequel that improved on Golden Axe in every dimension — four-player simultaneous play, larger sprites, more varied enemy types, and rideable creatures with unique attacks. Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder was arcade-only in most regions, making it one of the great hidden gems in the Golden Axe franchise.

Hudson Soft's vertical shoot-em-up that pushed the TurboGrafx-16's sprite hardware to its limits. Soldier Blade's weapon system, speed control mechanics, and visually dense stages made it the definitive TurboGrafx shooter — the platform's answer to Thunder Force IV or Gradius III, and evidence of the hardware's exceptional shooter performance.

The first entry in Quintet's soul trilogy — Soul Blazer has the player acting as an angel defeating demons and restoring souls to a corrupted world, resurrecting villagers and NPCs as enemies are cleared.

Konami's SNES beat-em-up adaptation of Tim Burton's Batman Returns, featuring cooperative two-player combat against a Halloween carnival of villains. Batman Returns SNES offered significantly different gameplay from other platform versions — a slower, heavier brawler with grapple mechanics that matched the film's dark aesthetic.

The debut of one of Nintendo's most beloved characters, Kirby's Dream Land introduced the pink puffball's signature inhale mechanic and charming aesthetic in a breezy platformer designed to be accessible to all ages. Short but delightful, it launched an enduring franchise.

The NES Mega Man series' most polished late entry — Mega Man 5 introduces Beat, the bird weapon found by collecting hidden letters, with eight Robot Masters including Gravity Man, Crystal Man, and Charge Man.

The Neo-Geo fighter that introduced the spirit gauge, zoom camera, and desperation moves to the genre. Art of Fighting's distinctive power-dependent gameplay created a different strategic rhythm from Street Fighter II, and its characters would later cross over into King of Fighters.

Sega's shape-shifting Genesis platformer — Casey collects masks to transform into eight characters (Jason, Berzerker, Maniaxe, Iron Knight, Eyeclops, Juggernaut, Red Stealth, Skycutter) with distinct abilities across 103 stages.

Capcom's underrated Disney NES platformer — Darkwing Duck uses his gas gun with multiple ammunition types, swings on his cape, and battles five of the series' iconic villains across stages based on the cartoon.

A unique Genesis game — guide a dolphin through an increasingly dark undersea narrative involving aliens, time travel, and extinction-level events, rendered in some of the console's most impressive fluid animation.