1995 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Dragon Quest VI, Mega Man 7, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, and Tekken 2, along with new titles such as Mario's Picross, Battle Arena Toshinden, Chrono Trigger, Rayman, Twisted Metal, Star Wars: Dark Forces, Destruction Derby, Wipeout and Jumping Flash!
The year's highest-grossing arcade game in Japan was Virtua Fighter 2, while the best-selling arcade video games in the United States were Daytona USA (for the second year in a row) and Mortal Kombat 3. The home video game with the highest known sales in 1995 was Dragon Quest VI, despite only releasing in Japan. The Super Famicom was the best-selling game console in Japan, while the North American Super Nintendo was the best-selling console in North America.
Legend
Hardware releases Nintendo releases: March 20 – Game Boy Play It Loud! series, color/clear versions of the Game Boy. April 23 – Satellaview accessory for the Super Famicom console in Japan only. July 21 – Virtual Boy 32-bit console in Japan. It is discontinued on December 22.
May 11 – Sega releases the Sega Saturn console in North America. August 14 – The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is discontinued in North America. September 9 – Sony releases the PlayStation console in the United States. September 29 – Sony releases the PlayStation console in Europe. October 25 – Funtech releases the Super A'Can console in Taiwan. Full date unknown R-Zone VFX1 Headgear
Top-rated games Major awards Category/Publication Game Players 1995 Awards (Christmas 1995) Gamest 9th Gamest Awards (December 1995) GameFan 4th Annual 1995 Megawards (January 1996) GamePro1995 Editors' Choice Awards (February 1996) Electronic Gaming Monthly1996 Buyer's Guide Awards Nintendo Power Nintendo Power Awards (May 1996) Game of the Year Virtua Fighter 2 Virtua Fighter 2 Yoshi's Island (16-bit), Jumping Flash! (32-bit) Twisted Metal Best Arcade Game Alpine Racer Virtua Fighter 2 Tekken 2 Tekken 2 Best PlayStation Game Wipeout Jumping Flash! Doom Twisted Metal Best Saturn Game Virtua Fighter 2 Virtua Fighter 2 Virtua Fighter 2 Panzer Dragoon Best SNES Game Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Yoshi's Island Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Chrono Trigger Chrono Trigger Best Genesis Game NHL 96 Vectorman Vectorman Vectorman Best 3DO Game Blade Force D Wolfenstein 3D Gex Best Jaguar Game Rayman Defender 2000 Cannon Fodder Best Neo-Geo Game World Heroes Perfect The King of Fighters '95 Best CD-i Game Chaos Control Best Sega CD Game Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side Earthworm Jim: Special Edition Lunar: Eternal Blue Best 32X Game Virtua Fighter WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game Virtua Fighter Best Game Boy Game Arcade Classic series (Asteroids, Missile Command, Centipede, Millipede, Galaga, Galaxian, Defender, Joust) Donkey Kong Land Donkey Kong Land Donkey Kong Land Donkey Kong Land Best Game Gear Game Garfield: Caught in the Act RistarSuper Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Best Virtual Boy Game Mario's Tennis Red Alarm Mario's Tennis Red Alarm Virtual Boy Wario Land Best Story Chrono Trigger Best Visuals Virtua Fighter 2 (32-bit), Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (16-bit) Virtua Fighter 2 RaymanDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Best Music/Sound Twisted Metal Vampire Hunter: Darkstalkers' Revenge (Night Warriors) Skeleton Warriors Chrono Trigger and Rayman (tie) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Best Fighting Game Virtua Fighter 2 Virtua Fighter 2 Virtua Fighter 2 and Killer Instinct (tie) Battle Arena ToshindenKiller Instinct Best Sports Game World Series Baseball (Saturn) NFL GameDay NFL GameDayNHL 96 Best Action/Platform Game Jumping Flash! Puyo Puyo 2 Yoshi's Island Yoshi's Island Best RPGChrono Trigger EarthBoundChrono Trigger Chrono TriggerChrono Trigger Best Shooter Virtua Cop TwinBee Yahho! Panzer Dragoon and Pulstar (tie) Philosoma Best Driving/Racing Game Wipeout Sega Rally Championship and Wipeout (tie) Ridge Racer Best Flight Simulator Warhawk Warhawk Air Combat Best Adventure Game Beyond Oasis D, The Mansion of Hidden Souls, Discworld (tie) Chrono Trigger
Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame The following video game releases in 1995 entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.
Title Platform Publisher Genre Score (out of 40) Virtua Fighter 2 SAT Sega Fighting 39 Ridge Racer Revolution PS1 Namco Racing 39 Tekken PS1 Namco Fighting 38 Fushigi no Dungeon 2: Furai no Shiren (Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer) SNES Chunsoft Roguelike 38 Sega Rally Championship SAT Sega Racing 36 Virtua Fighter Remix SAT Sega Fighting 35 King's Field II PS1 FromSoftware RPG 35 Boxer's Road PS1 New Corporation Sports (boxing) 35 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner SAT Atlus RPG 35
Financial performance Highest-grossing arcade games Japan In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade video games of 1995, according to the annual Gamest and Game Machine charts.
Rank Gamest Game MachineTitleManufacturer TitleTypePoints 1 Virtua Fighter 2Sega Virtua Fighter 2 PCB / DX 2 Street Fighter Zero (Street Fighter Alpha)Capcom Daytona USA 2P / DX 3 Vampire Hunter: Darkstalkers' Revenge (Night Warriors)Capcom Sega Rally Championship 2P / DX 4 TekkenNamco Virtua Cop Dedicated 3204 5 The King of Fighters '94SNK Puzzle Bobble (Bust-a-Move) PCB 3186 6 Super Street Fighter II X (Super Street Fighter II Turbo)Capcom Taisen Puzzle-Dama (Crazy Cross) PCB 3111 7 X-Men: Children of the AtomCapcom Puyo Puyo 2 PCB 2639 8 Shin Samurai Spirits (Samurai Shodown II)SNK Tetris (Sega) PCB 2638 9 Tekken 2Namco Shanghai III PCB 2455 10 Puzzle Bobble (Bust-a-Move)Taito Ace Driver Dedicated 2414
United States In the United States, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade video games of 1995, according to the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) and Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA).
Rank AAMA AMOA Title Award Dedicated cabinet Conversion kit 1 Daytona USA, Neo Geo MVS, Mortal Kombat 3 Diamond Cruis'n USA Mortal Kombat 3 2Daytona USA, Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3Mortal Kombat II, Raiden II, Tekken, X-Men: Children of the Atom 3 4 Sega Rally Championship, WWF WrestleMania, Area 51 Platinum 5 6 rowspan="5" rowspan="5" 7 2 on 2 Open Ice Challenge, Indy 500, Virtua Fighter 2, Virtua Cop Silver 8 9 10
Best-selling video game consoles RankManufacturerGame consoleTypeGenerationSalesJapanUSAWorldwide1NintendoSNESHome16-bit1,780,0001,900,0003,518,000+2SonyPS1Home32-bit1,700,000800,0003,100,0003SegaSATHome32-bit1,660,000400,0002,060,000+4SegaGENHome16-bit30,0001,700,0001,998,000+5NintendoGBHandheld8-bit1,000,0001,000,000+6Panasonic3DOHome32-bit150,000250,000400,000+7NintendoNESHome8-bit80,000,000184,000+8SegaGGHandheld8-bit180,000180,000+9Atari CorpJAGHome32-bit150,000150,000+10NECPCFXHome32-bit120,000120,000+
Best-selling home video games The following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1995 in Japan and the United States.
Rank Title Platform Sales Japan USA Combined1Dragon Quest VI: Maboroshi no Daichi (Realms of Reverie)SNES 2,482,6402Chrono TriggerSNES2,000,000+2,000,000+Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's IslandSNES1,000,000+1,000,000+2,000,000+Mortal Kombat 3SNES, GEN+2,000,000+5Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong QuestSNES1,000,000+1,987,295+6Donkey Kong Country (Super Donkey Kong)SNES643,0281,000,000+1,643,028+7Virtua Fighter 2SAT1,500,000+1,500,000+8Derby Stallion IIISNES1,086,141 1,086,1419Killer InstinctSNES 1,000,000+1,000,000+10TekkenPS1942,000942,000+
Japan In Japan, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1995.
Rank Title Platform Publisher Genre Sales 1 Dragon Quest VI: Maboroshi no Daichi (Realms of Reverie) SNES Enix RPG 2 Chrono Trigger SNES Squaresoft RPG 2,000,000+ 3 Virtua Fighter 2 SAT Sega Fighting 1,500,000+ 4 Derby Stallion III SNES ASCII Corporation Simulation 1,086,141 5 Super Mario: Yoshi Island (Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island) SNES Nintendo Platformer 1,000,000+ 6 Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy (Donkey Kong Country 2) SNES Nintendo Platformer 7 Tekken PS1 Namco Fighting 942,000 8 Romancing SaGa 3 SNES Squaresoft RPG 786,000 9 Arc the Lad PS1 Sony RPG 697,000 10 Mobile Suit Gundam PS1 Bandai FPS 668,242
United States In the United States, the following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1995.
Rank Title Publisher Genre Platform(s) Sales 1 Mortal Kombat 3 Williams Entertainment Fighting SNES, GEN + 2 Donkey Kong Country Nintendo Platformer SNES 1,000,000+ 3 Killer Instinct Nintendo Fighting SNES 1,000,000+ 4 Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Nintendo Platformer SNES1,000,000+ 5 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Nintendo Platformer SNES 1,000,000+ 6 Madden NFL '96 EA Sports Sports GEN rowspan="5" 7 NBA Jam: Tournament Edition Acclaim Entertainment Sports GEN 8 SNES 9 Mortal Kombat IIAcclaim Entertainment Fighting GEN10The Lion KingVirgin InteractivePlatformerSNES
United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, the following titles were the best-selling home video games of 1995.
Rank CD-ROM Cartridge 1 FIFA Soccer 96 2 Destruction Derby FIFA Soccer 95 3 Command & Conquer The Lion King 4 Discworld Theme Park 5 Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final UnityMortal Kombat 3 6 Star Wars: Dark Forces Killer Instinct 7 Wipeout Mickey Mania 8 Tekken Brian Lara Cricket 9 Star Wars: Rebel Assault Micro Machines Turbo Tournament '96 10 Theme Park Premier Manager
Events
January or February – Stars! is released as shareware. April 6 – Funco Inc., parent company of video game retailer FuncoLand, announces that vice president and director Stanley Bodine is promoted to president and chief operating officer, replacing founder David R. Pomije, who will remain as chairman and chief executive. Financial controller Robert Hiben is also named chief financial officer, while vice president of merchandising and information systems Michael Hinnenkamp resigns from the company to pursue other career opportunities. May 11 – Introduction of trade magazine GameWeek (then called Video Game Advisor). May 11–13 – The 1st annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is held in Los Angeles, California. November 5 – GameFAQs debuts on the web, as an archive of video game FAQs. November 24 – Nintendo unveils a playable version of the Nintendo Ultra 64, later renamed the Nintendo 64, at the 7th Annual Nintendo Space World Software Exhibition in Japan. Thirteen games were demonstrated but only two were in playable form, Kirby Ball 64 and Super Mario 64.
Business New companies: BioWare, Frog City, Interworld Productions (renamed Mythic Entertainment in 1997), Remedy, TalonSoft Defunct: Cyberdreams Nintendo v. Samsung Electronics; Nintendo sues Samsung for promoting software piracy. The suit is settled. Nintendo of America, Inc. v. NTDEC
Games released in 1995
Release Date Title Platform Developer/Publisher Genre January 1 Battle Arena Toshinden PS1 Tamsoft/SCEA Fighting January 13 Bust-a-Move SNES Taito February 15 Star Wars: Dark Forces DOS LucasArts FPS February 16 Ristar GEN Sonic Team/Sega Platformer February 24 Front Mission SNES G-Craft/Squaresoft March 10 Panzer Dragoon SAT Team Andromeda/Sega March 11 Chrono Trigger SNES Square March 14 Mario's Picross GB Jupiter/Nintendo Puzzle March 17 Descent DOS Parallax Software March 17 Discworld DOS, MAC, PS1 Psygnosis March 21 Kirby's Dream Land 2 GB HAL Laboratory/Nintendo March 24 Mega Man 7 SNES Capcom April Jagged Alliance DOS Madlab Software/Sir-Tech AprilFrontier: First EncountersDOSFrontier DevelopmentsSpace trading,