https://linkto.run/p/5MZA5UUE

Between NA, EU and JP, which region was the best this year? Which one produced the most great games, or perhaps those few quality titles that still stand out from the rest to you?

Reference (based on user ratings at various database sites, original release dates):
Text: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ZldIgjpMG4g_P-oHK2YNnmZiUilcW4nvfO_agoBzGM/edit?usp=sharing
Visualized: https://minirevver.weebly.com/good-retro-games-by-region-of-origin.html#

Other good resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wqcmKbm8oc&t=20s

EU as always

I'm voting for the US this time, DOOM 2 on Win, Simcity 2000, MechWarrior 2, Full Throttle, Decent, Hexen, C&C, Earthworm Jim too many personal greats to me not to vote for them.

This year's choice is tougher for me. JP still has plenty of great games but it's a transitional period with some games that feel rough now, some disappointing sequels like MM7, and some 2D genres feeling stale by this point though there are actually a bunch of great shooters released. Meanwhile US is on a roll with its RTS and FPS games, and even some good platformers.

Well this is the last good year for Japan. Next year and onward will be about the N64 and PS1, and those early 3D games are clunky as fuck and didn't age very well. Compared to that we have some of the best SNES games in '95 that there are.
Seiken Densetsu 3 and Terranigma, two of my all-time favorite games. Chrono Trigger, Lufia 2 and Tactics Ogre are great as well. And Der Langrisser is unfortunately one of the few games that don't run correctly on ZSNES, but it's good as well.

On the other continents we get some all-time good titles as well. Donke Kong Country 2, Rayman, Worms from the EU.
Command & Conquer, Warcraft II, Secret of Evermore from NA. And a big chunk of those Boomer Shooters people seem to like.

Going with NA mainly for Warcraft 2, Evermore, EWJ2 and Colonization here, lots of good memories with those. My faves from this year with a rough ranking:
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island/SMW 2 - SNES (Nintendo EAD)
Ristar/Ristar The Shooting Star - MD (Sega CS)
Alien Soldier - MD (Treasure)
Darius Gaiden - SAT (1994 ARC port, Aisystem Tokyo, originally by Taito)
Hameln no Violin Hiki - SNES (Daft)
Galactic Attack/RayForce/Layer Section/Gunlock - SAT (1994 ARC port, Ving, originally by Taito)
Super Bomberman 3 - SNES (Hudson)
Terranigma - SNES (Quintet)
Chrono Trigger - SNES (Squaresoft/Square)
Soul Blade/Soul Edge - ARC (Namco)
Der Langrisser - SNES (NCS)
Super Puyo Puyo Tsuu/Super Puyo Puyo 2 - SNES (Compile)
Lords of Thunder - MCD (1993 PCE CD port, Hudson Soft & Eleven)
Virtual Boy Wario Land - VB (Nintendo R&D1)
Donpachi - ARC (CAVE)
Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire - PCE CD (CAProduction)
In the Hunt - PS1/SAT (1993 ARC port, Tsuji Jimusho PS1/Xing Entertainment SAT, originally by Irem)
Sega Rally Championship/Sega Rally - ARC/SAT (1996 96 plus ver., Sega AM3 & Sega AM4 ARC, Sega AM3 & Sega CS SAT)
Final Fight 3 - SNES (Capcom)
International Superstar Soccer Deluxe - SNES (Konami, 1996 MD, 1997 PS1 (KCEO))
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals/Lufia 2 - SNES (Neverland)
Tetris Attack - SNES (Intelligent Systems)
Kirby's Dream Land 2 - GB (HAL Labs)
Suikoden - PS1 (Konami)
Light Crusader - MD (Treasure)
Detana TwinBee Yahho! Deluxe Pack - SAT (Konami)
Magic Knight Rayearth - SAT (Sega)
Sylvan Tale - GG (Sega)
Gokujou Parodius Da! Deluxe Pack - SAT (Konami)
Street Fighter Alpha - ARC/PS1 (Capcom)
Royal Stone - GG (Sega)
Panzer Dragoon - SAT (Sega CS & Team Andromeda)
Mega Man 7 - SNES (Capcom)
Tails Adventures - GG (Aspect)
Magical Pop'n - SNES (Polestar)
Rapid Reload/Gunner's Heaven - PS1 (Media Vision/Media.Vision)
Mega Man X3/Rockman X3 - SNES (Capcom)
Mickey to Donald Magical Adventure 3/Magical Quest 3 - SNES (Capcom) - 3.75
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie - MD (SIMS)
Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict (Shining Force Gaiden 3) - GG (Camelot Software Planning)
Seiken Densetsu 3/Secret of Mana 2/Trials of Mana - SNES (Squaresoft/Square)
Policenauts - 3DO (Konami)
Tekken 2 - ARC (Namco)
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together - SNES (Quest)
Pepenga Pengo - MD (Sega CS & JSH)
Baku Baku Animal/Baku Baku - ARC/SAT (Sega AM3)
Virtua Fighter 2 - SAT (1994 ARC port, Sega Away Team, originally Sega AM2)
Air Combat/Ace Combat - PS1 (different, Namco)
Fighting Vipers - ARC (Sega AM2)
The Great Battle V - SNES (Sun L)
Virtua Cop 2 - ARC (Sega AM2)
X-Men: Children of the Atom - SAT (1994 ARC port, Rutubo Games, originally by Capcom)

Secret of Evermore - SNES (Square USA)
Comix Zone - MD/WIN (Sega Technical Institute)


Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness - DOS (Blizzard Entertainment)
Command & Conquer - DOS (Westwood Studios)
Colonization/Sid Meier's Colonization - DOS/WIN (MPS Labs/MicroProse)
Descent - DOS (Parallax Software/Volition)
Earthworm Jim 2 - MD/SNES (Shiny Entertainment)
NHL '96 - MD/SNES (High Score Productions)
Earthworm Jim: Special Edition - MCD/WIN (1994 MD port w/ some additions, Shiny Entertainment)
Hexen - DOS/SAT (Raven Software)
The Ultimate Doom - DOS (one more episode, id Software)
Blackthorne - 32X (1994 SNES port w/ some differences, Paradox Development & Interplay)
Metal Warriors - SNES (LucasArts)
Doom - PS1 (some differences, Midway Studios - San Diego, originally by id Software)
Demolition Man - MCD (Alexandria)
Full Throttle - DOS (LucasArts)
Road Rash 3 - MD (Monkey Do Productions)
Tyrian - DOS (Eclipse Software (?))
Desert Demolition Starring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote - MD (BlueSky Software)
Phantom 2040 - SNES/MD (Viacom New Media)
The Incredible Machine 3 - DOS/WIN (Sierra or Jeff Tunnell Productions)
FIFA Soccer '96 - MD (different, Extended Play Productions & Electronic Arts Canada)
Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - GB/GG (1994 SNES port w/ some differences, Realtime Associates, originally by Sculptured Software)
Lode Runner On-Line: The Mad Monks' Revenge - WIN (Presage Software)
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 - ARC (Midway)
The Adventures of Batman & Robin - MD (different, Clockwork Tortoise)
Fury³/Fury 3 - WIN (Terminal Reality)
Terminal Velocity - DOS (Terminal Reality)
Mortal Kombat 3 - ARC/SNES/MD/PS1 (Midway ARC, Sculptured Software SNES/MD, Williams PS1)
Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest/HoM&M - DOS (New World Computing or 3DO)
Star Wars: Dark Forces - DOS (LucasArts)
Math Blaster: Episode I - WIN (1994 DOS port, 1995 WIN, Davidson & Associates)
Vectorman - MD (Blue Sky Software)
3D Pinball: Space Cadet - WIN (Microsoft)
Scooby-Doo Mystery - MD (different, Illusions Gaming Company)
Road Rash - PS1 (1994 3DO port, Advanced Technology Group, originally by Monkey Do Productions)
X-Men 2: Clone Wars - MD (HeadGames)
Weaponlord - SNES/MD (Visual Concepts)

Ecco the Dolphin - WIN (1992 port, Backbone Entertainment - Canada, originally by Novotrade)


Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament '96 - MD (Supersonic Software)
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - SNES (Rare)
Albion - DOS (Blue Byte)
Super Turrican 2 - SNES (Factor 5)
Lemmings - WIN (1991 DOS port w/ some differences, 1995 WIN, DMA Design?)
Another World/Out of this World - WIN (1991 DOS port, Delphine Software International)
Cannon Fodder 2 - DOS (Sensible Software)
Donald in Maui Mallard/Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow - MD (1996 WIN & SNES, Eurocom Entertainment Software)
Rendering Ranger R2 - SNES (Rainbow Arts)
Rayman - JAG/PS1/SAT/DOS/WIN (Ubi Soft Paris/Ubisoft)
Worms - DOS/PS1/MD (Team17 DOS/PS1, East Point Software MD (?))
Killer Instinct - SNES/GB (1994 ARC port, Rare)
Discworld - DOS/PS1 (Perfect 10 Productions & Teeny Weeny Games/Perfect Entertainment)
Top Gear 3000 - SNES (Gremlin Interactive)
Wipeout - PS1 (Psygnosis)
Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds - DOS (1995 EU, 1996 US, Bullfrog Productions)
Pinball Illusions - DOS (Digital Illusions)

Earthworm Jim 2 - WIN (Rainbow Arts WIN, originally by Shiny Entertainment)

This was just before the dawn of the 3D era. One last huzzah for the 16 bit consoles. To that end, I've got to pick Japan.