Best Video Games of 1993

The ActRaiser sequel that removed the city-building simulation to focus on pure action. The wing mechanics, divine magic system, and technically polished platforming make it an excellent action game in isolation — though the loss of the original's unique hybrid design disappointed players expecting ActRaiser's complete formula.

A landmark crossover event for early 90s beat-em-up fans, Battletoads & Double Dragon unites Rare's bruising amphibian warriors with Technos' iconic martial arts duo against the shared threat of the Dark Queen and the Shadow Warriors. The game wisely tempers Battletoads' notorious difficulty with Double Dragon's more accessible combat pacing, resulting in a co-op brawler that rewards skilled play without punishing newcomers at every turn.

Neverland's 1993 SNES JRPG that opens with the ending — the legendary heroes defeating the Sinistrals — before jumping 99 years to follow their descendants. Lufia & the Fortress of Doom established the franchise's melancholy tone and the Sinistral antagonists that Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals would elaborate as its centerpiece.

The SNES port of Midway's blood-soaked arcade sensation sparked a cultural firestorm and directly triggered the creation of the ESRB ratings system — Nintendo's decision to replace blood with sweat and alter fatalities made this version the censored alternative to the Genesis port, but the underlying fighting game is a tense, strategic one-on-one brawler with a roster of digitized fighters that remains iconic. The controversy only amplified public fascination, and the game became one of the best-selling SNES titles of its era.

Sonic inside a pinball machine — Sega Technical Institute's concept game sends Sonic through four pinball-themed zones collecting Chaos Emeralds and bouncing off bumpers in one of the most creative Sonic spinoffs.