 Presenting... The PPM Player Awards! This past year has been a grand one for games, indeed! Sega Saturn was released months ahead of schedule, the Jaguar-CD fell with a thud onto the scene, and the much-hyped Sony PlayStation brought 3-D gaming to the mainstream. Now that 1995 is wrapped up and tucked away, it's time to commemorate those titles which innovated and stylized this unique form of entertainment. Few of these decisions were unanimous, and rest assured we've added runners-up in each category to see who just missed the cut. These are just the opinions of your Review Crew at PPM! Write in or rave about your own picks in the chat box! |
| SONY PLAYSTATION GAME OF THE YEAR: Jumping Flash 
For PlayStation Developed by Exact & Ultra |
Our first award, that of PS-X's Best-Of, is presented to an ingenious take on the evolution of platforming: Jumping Flash. It redefined the boundaries of 3-D gameplay, shuffled up the familiar Doom formula, and to this day continues to impress.
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| SEGA SATURN GAME OF THE YEAR: Panzer Dragoon 
For Sega Saturn Developed by Sega |
Our top pick for the Saturn in its premier period is undoubtedly Panzer Dragoon, an epic and atmospheric adventure atop superbly textured dragons. Matching graphical splendor with incredible, deadly difficult gameplay, it's clear to all why this captivating title wins out.
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| SNES GAME OF THE YEAR: SMW 2: Yoshi's Island 
For Super NES Developed by Nintendo |
Rising to match the honorable status of previous winners, FF III and Star Fox, Yoshi's Island was an easy choice for Best SNES title of '95. From its gorgeously painted graphical style and brilliant musical score to exemplary gameplay, Yoshi's Island is an undeniable masterclass in games design.
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| SEGA GENESIS GAME OF THE YEAR: Phantasy Star IV 
For Sega Genesis Developed by Sega |
Our pick for Genesis goes to Phantasy Star IV in a tight race over the competition. Its excellent battle animations and full-screen cinemas had us stunned this was playing on the base system. Engaging stories will keep players' minds imprisoned for hours on end.
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| SEGA CD & 32X GAME OF THE YEAR: Earthworm Jim: Special Edition 
For Sega CD Developed by Shiny Entertainment |
Earthworm Jim continues its hot streak with a win for Best Sega-CD game. Taking everything that was great about the original cart and expanding on it with new levels, smoother animations, and improved sound made this disc the one for wormy fans to get their grubby mitts on.
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| PORTABLE GAME OF THE YEAR: Donkey Kong Land 
For Game Boy Developed by Rare |
Last year we awarded Donkey Kong with this trophy - and now it's Donkey Kong Land! I suppose we are just bananas over this affable ape (Sorry, folks). Squeezing SNES-like platforming stages and trademarked Rare characters onto the lowly Game Boy was surely no small task, and it resulted in pure platforming fun!
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| 3DO GAME OF THE YEAR: Blade Force 
For 3DO Developed by Prolific |
Easily the most significant release from Studio 3DO yet, Blade Force captured the power of next-gen to bring forth 3-D, texture-mapped environments and pure helicopter mayhem. We never tire of those rocket-powered explosions. Games like this keep up just fine higher-tech options on PlayStation.
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| JAGUAR GAME OF THE YEAR: Rayman 
For Jaguar Developed by Ubi Soft |
As the Jaguar appears ready to bow out of the console wars entirely, kudos go out to studios like Ubi Soft for its work in keeping its player base satisfied with the brilliant Rayman. This lavishly beautiful platformer with top-notch action is worth checking out (on PS-X and Saturn, too!).
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| BEST GAMING MASCOT: Diddy & Dixie Kong (DKC 2) 
For Super NES Developed by Nintendo/Rare |
Leaping out from Rare and Nintendo's Donkey Kong Country 2 are our favorite mascots of 1995: Diddy and Dixie Kong. This pair exhibit tons of personality on-screen, each with plenty of unique animations along with nifty moves to spice up the platform gameplay.
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| MOST CD-WORTHY SOUNDTRACK: Chrono Trigger 
For Super NES Developed by Square |
Square dominates the music category once again, proving that no other company puts quite as much time and care into their soundtracks. Likewise, our choice for favorite RPG, Chrono Trigger, pulled no punches in delivering a solid home run for the Japanese studio. Release it on CD!
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| BEST WAY TO WASTE $149: Sega 32X 
For Sega Genesis Developed by Sega |
In 1995, Sega looked at the Genesis, Sega-CD, Game Gear, and their upcoming Saturn and asked, "What's the harm in supporting one more console?" Instead of our usual Best Add-On category, this year we have the Worst. The bizarre "stopgap" 32X upgrade resoundingly failed to deliver quality games for those who invested the cash to pick one up and left plenty of early adopters feeling ripped off.
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| BEST DOOM KNOCK-OFF: Defcon 5 
For PlayStation/PC Developed by Millennium Interactive |
Doom clones flooded the market in '95, taking the place of the 2-D fighter craze. Most were, frankly, utter trash. Others, like Defcon 5 were made by developers with an actual vision in mind. Strategy plays a vital role in conquering D5, with a sense of danger that will keep players on their toes.
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| MOST FAITHFUL ARCADE CONVERSION: TIE: Virtua Fighter 2 and Tekken 
For Saturn & PlayStation |
The enthrallingly violent Tekken was all set to take home this award bar-none. Then, swooping in last-minute to claim a joint spot on the pedestal, VF2 showed up and knocked out socks off! Developers behind these two 3-D fighters went well beyond the call of duty to formulate home console ports that not only faithfully recreate the arcade originals, but add plenty of extras, too.
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| CONSOLE OF THE YEAR: Sony PlayStation 
Developed by Sony |
Blasting to bits the market share of 16-Bit, the Sony PlayStation completely and utterly changed the game upon its exciting launch this past September. Gems like Twisted Metal, Ridge Racer, and PPM Award winners Jumping Flash and Tekken prove that we are stepping into the next phase of gaming history. Saturn did its part to embody this shift as well, but we found PS-X a smidge more worthy of the crown.
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| OVERALL GAME OF THE YEAR: SMW 2: Yoshi's Island 
For Super NES Developed by Nintendo |
The Award for PPM Best Game of 1995 goes to Yoshi's Island. This one was a close call, but, toppling over fellow nominees Chrono Trigger and Panzer Dragoon, the Miyamoto masterpiece is our choice for best overall game. In essence, this SNES title felt like the culmination of the last five years of video gaming rolled into one. Gorgeous graphics, fun and addictive gameplay, a memorable soundtrack - Yoshi had it all in spades. Nintendo magic ought never to be underestimated, even in the face of the fiercest of rivalries. With the Ultra 64 expected to release this spring in the states, next year's bout is sure to be a memorable one.
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