1990 in video games

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from 1990 in video gaming)

List of years in video games
+...

1990 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Dr. Mario, Dragon Quest IV, Final Fantasy III, Phantasy Star II, and Super Mario World, along with new titles such as Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light and Magic Sword. The year's highest-grossing arcade video games were Final Fight in Japan and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the United States. The year's best‑selling system was the Game Boy, while the year's best-selling home video game was Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Financial performance[edit]

Highest-grossing arcade games[edit]

Japan[edit]

In Japan, the following titles were the top ten highest-grossing arcade video games of 1990.

Rank Gamest[1] Game Machine[2][3]
Title Manufacturer Dedicated arcade cabinet Software conversion kit
1 Final Fight Capcom Super Monaco GP (deluxe) Tetris (Sega)
2 Tetris Sega Final Lap Final Fight
3 Super Monaco GP Sega Winning Run: Suzuka GP (deluxe) Tecmo World Cup '90
4 Columns Sega Special Criminal Investigation (S.C.I.) Columns
5 Parodius Da! Shinwa kara Owarai e Konami Big Run Adventure Quiz: Capcom World
6 Raiden Tecmo Beast Busters Super Formula: Chijou Saisoku no Battle
7 Bloxeed Sega Hard Drivin' Volfied
8 Final Lap Namco Out Run (deluxe) Adventure Quiz: Capcom World 2
9 G-LOC: Air Battle Sega Operation Thunderbolt Parodius Da! Shinwa kara Owarai e
10 Gradius III Konami G-LOC: Air Battle (deluxe) M.V.P.

United Kingdom and Australia[edit]

In the United Kingdom and Australia, the following titles were the top-grossing arcade video games of each month.

Month United Kingdom Australia (Timezone) Ref
Dedicated cabinet Conversion kit
January Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Tecmo World Cup '90
Super Masters
Line of Fire
Un­known Un­known [4]
February
March
July Un­known Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tecmo World Cup '90 [5]
August Un­known Magic Sword [6]

United States[edit]

In the United States, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade video games of 1990.

Rank AMOA[7][8][9] Play Meter
Dedicated arcade cabinet Conversion kit Title Manufacturer
1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Final Fight Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles[10] Konami
2 Super Off Road,
Turbo Outrun,
Mercs
Capcom Bowling,
Big Event Golf,
Cyber Police ESWAT,
Badlands
Un­known
3
4
5

The following were the top-grossing arcade video games on the monthly RePlay arcade charts in 1990.

Month Title Type Points Ref
January Golden Axe Software conversion kit 644 [11]
February Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dedicated cabinet 743 [12]
March 850 [13]
April 923 [14]
May 922 [15]
June 911 [16]
July 933 [17]
August 903 [18]
September 868 [19]
October 875 [20]
November 857 [21]
December 809 [22]

Hong Kong[edit]

In Hong Kong, these were the top-grossing arcade video games of each month on the Bondeal charts.

Month Dedicated arcade cabinet Arcade conversion kit Ref
January Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pang Burning Force Lady Frog [23][24]
February Hard Drivin' Big Run Roulette [24][25]
March Big Run Hard Drivin' Roulette Crude Buster [25][26]
April Hard Drivin' Big Run Final Fight Crude Buster [26]
May Big Run Rough Ranger [27]
June Big Run Hard Drivin' Alien Storm Mustang [27][28]
July Big Run Lightning Fighters Combatribes Smash TV [28][29]
August Hard Drivin' Big Run Smash TV Magic Sword [29][30]
September Big Run Hard Drivin' Magic Sword Smash TV [30][31]
October Big Run Smash TV Pit-Fighter [31][32]
November Big Run Hard Drivin' Pit-Fighter Hydra Pit-Fighter [32][33]
December Four Trax Cisco Heat Double Dragon 3 Pit-Fighter Super Pang [33][34]

Best-selling home systems[edit]

Rank System(s) Manufacturer Type Generation Sales
Japan USA Europe Korea Worldwide
1 Game Boy Nintendo Handheld 8-bit 3,100,000[35] 5,000,000[36] Un­known Un­known 10,000,000[37]
2 Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo Console 8-bit 1,360,000[35] 7,200,000[38] < 655,000[39] 80,000[40] 8,640,000+
3 IBM PC IBM Computer 16-bit 2,840,000[41]
4 Sega Mega Drive / Genesis Sega Console 16-bit 900,000[42] 1,000,000[36] 193,000[43] 43,000[40] 2,136,000+
5 PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 NEC Console 16-bit 1,300,000[42] 450,000[44][45] Un­known Un­known 1,750,000+
6 Macintosh Apple Inc. Computer 16-bit 1,300,000[46]
7 Master System Sega Console 8-bit Un­known 300,000[47] 725,000[43] 180,000[40] 1,205,000+
8 NEC PC-88 / PC-98 NEC Computer 8-bit / 16-bit 1,100,000[48] Un­known Un­known Un­known 1,100,000+
9 Amiga Commodore Computer 16-bit 750,000[46]
10 Commodore 64 (C64) Commodore Computer 8-bit 700,000[46]

Best-selling home video games[edit]

Japan[edit]

In Japan, according to Famicom Tsūshin (Famitsu) magazine, the following titles were the top ten best-selling 1990 releases, including later sales up until 1992.[49]

Rank Title Developer Publisher Genre Platform Sales
1 Super Mario World Nintendo EAD Nintendo Platformer SFC < 3,550,000[50]
2 Dragon Quest IV: Michibikareshi Monotachi Chunsoft Enix RPG Famicom 3,000,000[51]
3 Final Fantasy III Squaresoft Squaresoft RPG Famicom < 1,400,000[52]
4 Dr. Mario Nintendo R&D1 Nintendo Puzzle Famicom Un­known
5 Game Boy
6 Final Fight Capcom Capcom Beat 'em up SFC < 860,000[53]
7 SD Gundam: SD Sengokuden Bandai Bandai TBT Game Boy Un­known
8 F-Zero Nintendo EAD Nintendo Racing SFC
9 SD Hero Sōkessen: Taose! Aku no Gundam Interlink Banpresto Platformer Famicom
10 Qix Minakuchi Nintendo Puzzle Game Boy

The following titles were the best-selling home video games on the Japan game charts published by Famicom Tsūshin (Famitsu) and Family Computer Magazine (Famimaga) in 1990.

Month Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Ref
January Makai Toushi SaGa (Game Boy) [54]
February Dragon Quest IV (Famicom) [54][55]
March Dragon Quest IV (Famicom) Mōryō Senki Madara (FC) [54][56]
April Dragon Quest IV (Famicom) Final Fantasy III (FC) [54][57]
May Final Fantasy III (Famicom) Tetris (Game Boy) [54][58]
June Tetris (Game Boy) Dragon Quest IV (Famicom)
July Tetris (Game Boy) Dr. Mario (Famicom) [54]
August Dr. Mario (Famicom) [59][60]
September Dr. Mario (Famicom) Famista (Game Boy) [60]
October Un­known Dragon Ball Z: Kyôshū! Saiyan (FC) [54]
November F1 Race (Game Boy) Super Mario World (Super Famicom)
December Super Mario World (Super Famicom) Un­known

United States[edit]

In the United States, Super Mario Bros. 3 was the best-selling home video game of 1990.[61][62] The following titles were the best-selling home video games of each month in 1990.

Month Standalone Bundle Sales Revenue
Weeks 1-2 Weeks 3-4 Nominal Inflation
January Tetris (Game Boy / NES)[63] Un­known Un­known Un­known
April Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)[64] Un­known Un­known 250,000+[65] $12.5 million+[65] $28 million+
May Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)[66] Tetris (Game Boy)[66] Un­known Un­known Un­known
June Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)[67] Tetris (Game Boy)[67]
September Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)[68] Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt (NES)[69]
November Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)[70][71] Un­known
December Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)[72] Tetris (Game Boy)[72]
1990 Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)[61][62] 8,000,000[73][74] $500 million[75] $1,120 million

United Kingdom[edit]

In the United Kingdom, the following titles were the best-selling home video games of each month in 1990, for various home computer and game console platforms.

Month Home computers Master System NES Mega Drive PC Engine Ref
January Chase H.Q. California Games Super Mario Bros. 2 [76]
February Paperboy Un­known Un­known [77]
March Un­known Un­known Ghouls 'n Ghosts Chase H.Q. [78]
April Fantasy World Dizzy Wonder Boy III Un­known New Zealand Story PC Kid [79][80]
May Un­known Un­known Final Blow Atomic Robo Kid [81]
June Italy 1990 Un­known Un­known Thunder Force III Formation Soccer [82]
July Un­known Un­known Ghostbusters Don Doko Don [83]
August Pro Boxing Simulator Golden Axe Super Mario Bros. 2 Batman Super Star Soldier [84][85]
September Shadow Warriors Super Monaco GP Devil Crash [86][87]
October Guardian Angel Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles Strider Splatterhouse [88][89]
November Out Run Devil Crash [90][91]
December Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles Golden Axe Aero Blasters [92][93][94]

Top-rated games[edit]

Major awards[edit]

Japan[edit]

Award 4th Gamest Awards
(Japan, December 1990)[95]
5th Famitsu Best Hit Game Awards
(Japan, February 1991)[96]
Arcade Console
Game of the Year Final Fight Dragon Quest IV (Famicom)
Handheld Game of the Year SaGa 2 (Game Boy)
Coin-Op Translation / Conversion Gradius III (Super Famicom)
PC-to-Console Translation Populous (Super Famicom)
Best Scenario / Story Final Fantasy III (Famicom)
Best Graphics R-Type II Castle of Illusion (Mega Drive)
Best BGM / Sound Gradius III Dr. Mario
Best Album Darius II
Best Production Parodius! From Myth to Laughter
Special Award / Most Talk Neo Geo Super Famicom
Best Game Company / Manufacturer Namco
Best Character / Character Design Mike Haggar (Final Fight) Yoshi (Super Mario World)
Best Action Game Final Fight F-Zero (Super Famicom)
Best Shooting Game Parodius! From Myth to Laughter Super Star Soldier (PCE)
Best RPG Megami Tensei II (Famicom)
Dragon Quest IV (Famicom)
Best Action RPG Ys II (Famicom)
Sorcerian (Mega Drive)
Best Adventure Game Urusei Yatsura: Stay With You
(PCE)
Best Simulation / Strategy Game Fire Emblem (Famicom)
Best Puzzle Game Dr. Mario
Best Sports Game Formation Soccer (PCE)

United Kingdom[edit]

Award 8th Golden Joystick Awards
(United Kingdom, April 1991)[97]
8-bit computer 16-bit computer 8-bit console 16-bit console
Game of the Year Rick Dangerous 2 Kick Off 2
Best Console Game Mega Man (NES) John Madden Football (MD)
PC Game of the Year Railroad Tycoon
Best Coin-Op Conversion Rainbow Islands Golden Axe
Best Graphics Midnight Resistance Shadow of the Beast 2
Best Soundtrack RoboCop 2 Speedball 2
Hardware Manufacturer of the Year Sega
Software House of the Year Ocean Software
Best Simulation F19 Stealth Fighter

United States[edit]

Award Electronic Gaming Monthly
(United States, October 1990)[98]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment
(United States, February 1991)[99]
Console Console Computer
Game of the Year Strider (Sega Genesis) Phantasy Star II (Genesis) It Came from the Desert
Game of the Year (Nintendo) Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES)
Game of the Year (TurboGrafx) Ninja Spirit (TurboGrafx-16)
Handheld Game of the Year Blue Lightning (Atari Lynx)
Coin-Op Translation / Conversion Columns (Genesis) N.Y. Warrior
Best Graphics Strider (Sega Genesis) Phantasy Star II (Genesis) Mean Streets
Best BGM / Sound Ys I & II (TurboGrafx-CD) Loom
Best System Sega Genesis
Best New System TurboExpress
Game Company / Manufacturer Natsume, Sega, Capcom,
Konami, Nintendo
Software House of the Year
Best Sequel to an Existing Game Mega Man 3
Innovative Game / New Theme Bonk's Adventure Super Glove Ball DragonStrike
Best Action Game Bonk's Adventure (TG16) Prince of Persia
Best RPG Ys I & II (TurboGrafx-CD)
Best Adventure Game Ys I & II (TG16)
Phantasy Star II (Genesis)
Conquests of Camelot
Best Simulation Game Devil's Crush (TG16) LHX Attack Chopper
Best Strategy Game Populous (Genesis) Spot: The Video Game
Best Military-Strategy Game Herzog Zwei (Genesis)
Military Madness (TG16)
Battles of Napoleon
Best Action-Strategy Game Klax Pipe Dream
Best Sports Game Super Monaco GP (Sega Genesis) TV Sports: Football (TG16) TV Sports: Basketball
Best Sports Simulation PGA Tour Golf
Best Board Game Clue: Master Detective
Best Science-Fiction Game Whip Rush (Genesis) Star Control
Most Challenging Video Game Phantasy Star II (Sega Genesis)
Best Peripheral of the Year Game Genie
Best Movie to Game Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Best Ending in a Game Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos

Critically acclaimed titles[edit]

Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame[edit]

The following video game releases in 1990 entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.[100]

Title Platform Score (out of 40) Developer Publisher Genre
Dragon Quest IV: Michibikareshi Monotachi Family Computer 37 Chunsoft Enix Role-playing
F-Zero Super Famicom 37 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Racing
Final Fantasy III Family Computer 36 Squaresoft Squaresoft Role-playing

English-language publications[edit]

Notable video game releases in 1990 that have accumulated overall critical acclaim from at least three contemporary English-language sources include:

Title Genre Publisher Platform Source(s)
Air Inferno Combat flight simulator Taito Arcade [101]
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World Hack & slash Sega Master System [102][103][104][105][106]
Aliens Run & gun shooter Konami Arcade [101]
Alien Storm Action Sega
Buster Bros. (Pang) Action Mitchell
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse Platformer Sega Sega Mega Drive/Genesis [107][108][109][110][111]
G-LOC: Air Battle Combat flight simulator Sega Arcade [101]
Golden Axe Beat 'em up Sega Master System [112][113][114][115][116][117][118][119][120]
Virgin Games Amiga [121]
GP Rider Motorbike racing Sega Arcade [101]
John Madden Football Sports Electronic Arts Sega Mega Drive/Genesis [122][123][124][125][126][127]
Klax Puzzle Atari Games Arcade [101]
Mercs Run & gun shooter Capcom
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker Action Sega
Out Zone Run & gun shooter Toaplan
Quarth (Block Hole) Puzzle-shooter Konami
Railroad Tycoon Business simulation MicroProse DOS [128][129][130][131][132][133]
SimCity City-building Maxis Atari ST [134][135][136][137]
Smash TV Multi-directional shooter Williams Electronics Arcade [101]
Strider Hack & slash Sega Sega Mega Drive/Genesis [138][139][140][141]
Super Mario Bros. 3 Platformer Nintendo NES [142][143][144][145][146]
Super Mario World Platformer Nintendo SNES [147][148][149][150][151]
The Secret of Monkey Island Graphic adventure Lucasfilm Games DOS [152][153][154][155][156][157]
Two Crude (Crude Busters) Beat 'em up Data East Arcade [101]

Events[edit]

Hardware releases[edit]

Sega Game Gear
  • Camerica releases Codemasters' Game Genie adapter in Canada and the UK (In the US, it was released by Galoob).
  • NEC releases the TurboExpress handheld console.
  • Nintendo releases the Super Famicom 16-bit console in Japan.
  • SNK releases the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System (AES) home console.
  • September 28 – Nintendo releases the Game Boy across Europe. It became a huge success and a wide phenomenon over the continent, particularly in Germany and the UK.
  • October 6 – Sega's Game Gear color handheld is released in Japan. It is launched in North America in 1991 and Europe and Australia in 1992.
  • November 30 – Sega's Mega Drive released in Europe.
  • Amstrad halts production of the ZX Spectrum, ending that platform's 8-year dominance of the UK home computer market.
  • Amstrad introduces its only console, the Amstrad GX4000, which fails to garner interest and is discontinued the following year.

Game releases[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "第4回ゲーメスト大賞 〜 インカム部門ベスト10" [4th Gamest Awards – Income Category: Best 10]. Gamest (in Japanese). Vol. 54 (February 1991). December 27, 1990. pp. 6–24 (24). alternate url
  2. ^ "Overseas Readers Column: Videos of The Year 1990" (PDF). Game Machine. No. 396. Amusement Press, Inc. February 1, 1991. p. 22.
  3. ^ "Japan's Award Winners". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 6. March 1991. p. 206.
  4. ^ Openshaw, Mary (March 1990). "ATEI '90: major international show rings in new year with good spread of new products". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 6. pp. 126–32.
  5. ^ "Test Reports". Leisure Line. Australia: Leisure & Allied Industries. August 1990. p. 43.
  6. ^ "Test Reports". Leisure Line. Australia: Leisure & Allied Industries. September 1990. p. 38.
  7. ^ "Boffo at the Banquet! Coin-biz & music stars take the stage at AMOA's big nifhgt in New Orleans". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 3. December 1990. pp. 88–9.
  8. ^ "AMOA 1989-90 Award Winners Announced" (PDF). Cash Box. November 10, 1990.
  9. ^ "AMOA 1990 Nominees—New Categories Announced" (PDF). Cash Box. August 18, 1990.
  10. ^ "1990". Play Meter. Vol. 20, no. 13. December 1994. p. 84.
  11. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 4. January 1990. p. 4.
  12. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 5. February 1990. p. 4.
  13. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 6. March 1990. p. 4.
  14. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 7. April 1990. p. 4.
  15. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 8. May 1990. p. 4.
  16. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 9. June 1990. p. 4.
  17. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 10. July 1990. p. 4. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  18. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 11. August 1990. p. 4.
  19. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 12. September 1990. p. 4.
  20. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 1. October 1990. p. 4.
  21. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 2. November 1990. p. 4.
  22. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 3. December 1990. p. 4.
  23. ^ "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 5. February 1990. p. 90.
  24. ^ a b "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 6. March 1990. p. 138.
  25. ^ a b "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 7. RePlay Publishing. April 1990. p. 185.
  26. ^ a b "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 8. RePlay Publishing. May 1990. p. 145.
  27. ^ a b "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 10. July 1990. p. 143.
  28. ^ a b "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 11. August 1990. p. 53.
  29. ^ a b "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 12. September 1990. p. 26.
  30. ^ a b "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 1. October 1990. p. 171.
  31. ^ a b "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 2. November 1990. p. 221.
  32. ^ a b "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 3. December 1990. p. 172.
  33. ^ a b "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 4. January 1991. p. 134.
  34. ^ "The Bondeal Chart". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 5. February 1991. p. 130.
  35. ^ a b 小川 (Ogawa), 純生 (Sumio) (December 14, 2010). "テレビゲーム機の変遷 —ファミコン、スーパーファミコン、プレステ、プレステ2、Wiiまで—" [Recent Developments in Video Game Technology in Japan — Famicom, Super Famicom, Play Station, Play Station 2 and Wii —] (PDF). 経営論集 (Keiei Ronshū) (in Japanese) (77) (published March 2011): 1–17 (2). ISSN 0286-6439. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2021 – via Toyo University Academic Information Repository (Toyo University).
  36. ^ a b "Sega competes with Game Boy". The Press-Courier. January 6, 1991. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  37. ^ "Asiaweek". Asiaweek. 1991. p. 2. Introduced in 1989, Game Boy sold 2.5 million units that year and 10 million in 1990.
  38. ^ "Company News: Nintendo Sales Fall Short of Goals". The New York Times. January 11, 1991. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  39. ^ "Segas sell better than Nintendos - official!". Sega Power. No. 18. May 1991. p. 6.
  40. ^ a b c 게임월드 [Game World] (in Korean). 1994.
  41. ^ "NewsLine: Reports and Analysis". MacUser. February 1993. p. 47.
  42. ^ a b Tanaka, Tatsuo (August 2001). Network Externality and Necessary Software Statistics (PDF). Statistics Bureau of Japan. p. 2.
  43. ^ a b "The Hard stuff gets cheaper" (PDF). Sega Power. No. 20. United Kingdom: Future Publishing (published June 6, 1991). July 1991. p. 19. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  44. ^ Nutt, Christian (September 12, 2014). "Stalled engine: The TurboGrafx-16 turns 25". Game Developer. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  45. ^ Rothstein, Edward (April 26, 1990). "Electronics Notebook; Adventures in Never-Never Land". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  46. ^ a b c Reimer, Jeremy (December 15, 2005). "Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  47. ^ "SEGA - Hardware Estimates". Proceedings. The Conference. 1994. p. 125. Master
    1990   0.3
  48. ^ U.S. Industrial Outlook. Business and Defense Services Administration. 1993. p. 26-17.
  49. ^ "Famicom Journal Weekly Top 30 and Others: Count Down Hot 100". Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). No. 226. April 16, 1993. pp. 77–92.
  50. ^ "Japan Platinum Game Chart". The Magic Box. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  51. ^ "Count Down Hot 100". Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). No. 226. April 16, 1993. pp. 77–92 (85).
  52. ^ "Final Fantasy III". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 63. Ziff Davis. October 1994. p. 172.
  53. ^ "Game Search". Game Data Library. Famitsu. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  54. ^ a b c d e f g "1990 Weekly". Game Data Library. Famitsu. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  55. ^ "ファミコン通信 TOP 30: 2月11日" [Famicom Tsūshin Top 30: February 11]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1990, no. 6. March 16, 1990.
  56. ^ "Weekly Famimaga Hit Chart! (3/12~3/25)". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. April 20, 1990. pp. 152–3.
  57. ^ "Weekly Famimaga Hit Chart! (3/26~4/8)". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. May 11, 1990. pp. 199–200.
  58. ^ "ファミコン通信 TOP 30: 6月22日" [Famicom Tsūshin Top 30: June 22]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1990, no. 14. July 6, 1990. pp. 6–7.
  59. ^ "ファミコン通信 TOP 30" [Famicom Tsūshin Top 30]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1990, no. 20. September 28, 1990.
  60. ^ a b "ファミコン通信 TOP 30: 9月28日" [Famicom Tsūshin Top 30: September 28]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1990, no. 22. October 26, 1990. pp. 6–7.
  61. ^ a b Selby, Holly (November 29, 1990). "Adventures in Toyland: This year's most-wanted playthings include turtles, Barbies and doll babies". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  62. ^ a b "Count Down Hot 100: USA Hot 10!". Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). No. 226. April 16, 1993. p. 83.
  63. ^ "Surviving Together". Surviving Together. 20–22. Committee and the Institute: 68. 1990. 2.5 million copies later, Tetris is Nintendo's top-selling title for the first few months of 1990.
  64. ^ "U.S.A. TOP 10". Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1990, no. 10/11. May 11, 1990.
  65. ^ a b "U.s. Parents! Get Ready For The 3rd Invasion Of Super Mario Bros". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  66. ^ a b "U.S.A. Top 10". Famitsu (in Japanese). May 25, 1990. p. 10.
  67. ^ a b "U.S.A. TOP 10: 6月22日" [U.S.A. Top 10: June 22]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1990, no. 14. July 6, 1990. p. 10.
  68. ^ "U.S.A. TOP 15: 9月28日" [U.S.A. Top 15: September 28]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1990, no. 22. October 26, 1990. p. 10.
  69. ^ "Top-selling toy in September". U.S. News & World Report. Vol. 109. U.S. News Publishing Corporation. 1990. p. 13. Nintendo Action Set
  70. ^ Ramirez, Anthony (December 6, 1990). "Slump May Even Hit Toys 'R' Us". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  71. ^ Tibbits, George (December 24, 1990). "Nintendo video craze at its peak, experts say". Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Publishing Company. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  72. ^ a b "U.S.A. Top 15". Famitsu (in Japanese). June 21, 1990. p. 10.
  73. ^ Ehrlich, Willie (January 6, 1991). "Beeping Invasion". Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. p. 13. Retrieved January 6, 2021. Super Mario Bros. 3 sold more than eight million units after its introduction last March. Dr. Mario, just released Nov. 15, sold 2.5 million in its first six weeks, of sales.
  74. ^ "Good Housekeeping". Good Housekeeping. Vol. 212. Hearst Corporation. 1991. p. 152. 8 million Super Mario Bros. 3 games were sold in 1990
  75. ^ "Super Mario Bros. 3". GameFan. 1 (10): 77. September 1993.
  76. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 100 (March 1990). February 16, 1990. pp. 59–62.
  77. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 101 (April 1990). March 16, 1990. pp. 57–60.
  78. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 102 (May 1990). April 16, 1990. pp. 57–60.
  79. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 103 (June 1990). May 16, 1990. pp. 61–4.
  80. ^ "Stuff!" (PDF). S: The Sega Magazine. No. 7 (June 1990). May 5, 1990. p. 6.
  81. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 104 (July 1990). June 16, 1990. pp. 57–60.
  82. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 105 (August 1990). July 16, 1990. pp. 49–52.
  83. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 106 (September 1990). August 16, 1990. pp. 49–52.
  84. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 107 (October 1990). September 16, 1990. pp. 65–8.
  85. ^ "Top 10 Charts". Mean Machines. No. 1 (October 1990). September 1990. pp. 50–1.
  86. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 108 (November 1990). October 16, 1990. pp. 65–8.
  87. ^ "Top 10 Charts". Mean Machines. No. 2 (November 1990). October 29, 1990. pp. 30–1.
  88. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 109 (December 1990). November 16, 1990. pp. 89–94.
  89. ^ "Top 10 Charts". Mean Machines. No. 3. December 1990. pp. 62–3.
  90. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 110 (January 1991). December 15, 1990. pp. 75–8.
  91. ^ "Top 10 Charts". Mean Machines. No. 4 (January 1991). January 3, 1991. pp. 56–7.
  92. ^ Cundy, Matt (December 25, 2007). "Every Christmas Top 10 from the last 20 years". GamesRadar. p. 10. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  93. ^ "The C+VG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 111 (February 1991). January 16, 1991. pp. 53–6.
  94. ^ "Top 10 Charts". Mean Machines. No. 5 (February 1991). February 1, 1991. pp. 56–7.
  95. ^ "第4回ゲーメスト大賞" [4th Gamest Awards]. Gamest (in Japanese). Vol. 54 (February 1991). December 27, 1990. pp. 6–24. altrnate url
  96. ^ "'90ベストヒットゲーム大賞" ['90 Best Hit Game Awards]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1990, no. 4. ASCII. February 22, 1991.
  97. ^ "The Golden Joystick Awards '91". Computer and Video Games (115). EMAP: 10. June 1991.
  98. ^ "The Best and Worst of 1990". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 15 (Electronic Gaming Monthly Presents: The 1991 Video Game Buyer's Guide). October 1990. pp. 14–20.
  99. ^ "VG&CE's Best Games: 1990" (PDF). VideoGames & Computer Entertainment. February 1991. pp. 88–98.
  100. ^ "週刊ファミ通クロスレビュープラチナ殿堂入りソフト一覧" [Weekly Famitsu Cross Review Platinum Hall of Fame Software List]. Geimin (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  101. ^ a b c d e f g "Arcade game reviews". Solvalou.com. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  102. ^ "Alex Kidd in Shinobi World: By Sega". Computer and Video Games (106). September 1990. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  103. ^ "Sega Software Showdown". Sega Pro (1): 19. November 1991.
  104. ^ "The Hard Line: Alex Kidd in Shinobi World" (PDF). Sega Power (49): 130. December 1993.
  105. ^ "Review: Alex Kidd in Shinobi World". Zero (14). December 1990.
  106. ^ "Review: Alex Kidd in Shinobi World" (PDF). Game Mania (5): 81. May 1993.
  107. ^ Richard Leadbetter (February 1991). "Review: Mickey Mouse". Computer and Video Games. pp. 84–85.
  108. ^ Julian Rignall and Matt Regan (February 1991). "Mega Drive Review: Castle of Illusion" (PDF). Mean Machines. pp. 16–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 19, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  109. ^ Les Ellis (March 1991). "Stop Press Review: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse". Raze. pp. 6–7.
  110. ^ "Review Crew: Mickey Mouse" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. December 1990. p. 20.
  111. ^ The Bohemian (February 1991). "Genesis ProView: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse" (PDF). GamePro. pp. 66–67.
  112. ^ "Golden Axe". ACE. No. 33 (June 1990). May 1990. p. 63.
  113. ^ "Golden Axe (Sega)". Computer and Video Games. 4 (Complete Guide to Consoles). 1990.
  114. ^ "Golden Axe" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. March 1990. p. 16. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  115. ^ "Golden Axe". Mean Machines Sega. No. 1 (October 1992). September 1992. p. 133.
  116. ^ "Golden Axe". Zero. April 1990.
  117. ^ "Top Games: Master System" (PDF). Game Mania (5): 81. May 1993.
  118. ^ "Golden Axe" (PDF). Sega Power. No. 23 (October 1991). September 5, 1991. p. 57.
  119. ^ "Golden Axe" (PDF). Sega Pro. No. 3. Christmas 1991. p. 18.
  120. ^ "Golden Axe (Virgin Mastertronic)". The Games Machine. No. 32 (July 1990). June 1990. p. 51.
  121. ^ "Golden Axe". Amiga Magazine Rack. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  122. ^ Matt Regan (January 1991). "Review: John Madden's American Football". Computer and Video Games. pp. 70–72.
  123. ^ Matt Regan and Julian Rignall (December 1990). "Mega Drive Review: John Madden Football" (PDF). Mean Machines. pp. 16–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 19, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  124. ^ Les Ellis (February 1991). "Reviews: John Madden American Football". Raze. p. 70.
  125. ^ Rik Haynes (February 1991). "Review:John Madden American Football". Advanced Computer Entertainment. p. 67.
  126. ^ "Review Crew: John Madden Football" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. December 1990. p. 21.
  127. ^ Fantastic Fan (January 1991). "Special Football Feature: John Madden Football" (PDF). GamePro. pp. 56–60.
  128. ^ Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (October 1991). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (174): 57–64.
  129. ^ Brooks, M. Evan (October 1990). "Computer Strategy and Wargames: Pre-20th Century". Computer Gaming World. p. 11. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  130. ^ Mark Caswell (June 1990). "Reviews: Railroad Tycoon". The Games Machine. pp. 46–47.
  131. ^ Julian Rignall (August 1990). "Review: Railroad Tycoon". Advanced Computer Entertainment. p. 50.
  132. ^ Kati Hamza (June 1990). "Review:Railroad Tycoon". The One. pp. 37–38.
  133. ^ Gordon Houghton (July 1990). "Review: Railroad Tycoon". Computer and Video Games. pp. 38–39.
  134. ^ "Sim City". Atari ST User. September 1990. p. 54.
  135. ^ Mark Higham (July 1990). "Sim City". ST Format. pp. 34–36.
  136. ^ Tony Dillon (August 1990). "Updates: Sim City". Advanced Computer Entertainment. p. 64.
  137. ^ "Reviews: Shorts". The Games Machine. August 1990. p. 52.
  138. ^ "Archive - Magazine viewer". World of Spectrum. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  139. ^ "Out-of-Print Archive Mega Drive/Genesis reviews Strider". Outofprintarchive.com. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  140. ^ Electronic Gaming Monthly, Strider Review, issue 16, November 1990, page 20
  141. ^ "File:VideoGameGreatestHits US 1991-07.pdf". Sega Retro. July 1991. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  142. ^ Rand, Paul (November 1991). "Computer and Video Games Magazine, issue 120". Computer and Video Games. pp. 23–8. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  143. ^ "Electronic Gaming Review Crew: Super Mario Bros. 3". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 9 (1990 Video Game Preview). April 1990. p. 10.
  144. ^ "Super Mario Bros 3" (PDF). Game Zone. No. 1 (November 1991). October 8, 1991. pp. 40–2.
  145. ^ "Super Mario Bros. 3". Total!. No. 1. January 1992. pp. 12–5.
  146. ^ Mean Machine Staff (October 1991). "Nintendo Review: Super Mario Bros. 3". Mean Machines. No. 13. EMAP. pp. 56–59. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved October 26, 2006.
  147. ^ Glancey, Paul (March 1991). "Super Mario World review". Computer and Video Games (112). Bath: Future plc: 48–50. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  148. ^ Harris, Steve (August 1991). "Reviews crew: Super Mario Bros 4". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 25. Lombard: EGM Media. p. 18. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  149. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (September 12, 2015). "Here Are Our Review Scores For (Almost) All Of Mario's Core Releases". Game Informer. Gamestop Network. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  150. ^ Brookes, Jason (December 1992). "Super Mario World review". Super Play (2). Bath: Future plc: 84. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  151. ^ Nintendo Power staff (May 1992). "1991 Nintendo Power Awards". Nintendo Power. Vol. 36. Bath: Future plc. pp. 58–61.
  152. ^ Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (April 1991). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (168): 49–50.
  153. ^ Glancey, Paul (December 1990). "The Secret of Monkey Island". Computer and Video Games (109): 112–114.
  154. ^ "Review: The Secret of Monkey Island". Raze. January 1991. p. 92.
  155. ^ Cooke, Steve (July 1991). "The Secret of Monkey Island". Advanced Computer Entertainment (46): 76–77.
  156. ^ "The Secret of Monkey Island". The One (26): 129. November 1990.
  157. ^ MacDonald, Duncan (November 1990). "The Secret of Monkey Island". Zero (13): 58.
  158. ^ "ProNews Report" (PDF). GamePro. March 1990. pp. 74–76.
  159. ^ Youngblood, Dick (September 13, 1993). "Third time is the charm as Funco chief succeeds after 2 business failures". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  160. ^ Baker, Sandra (September 8, 1992). "Video game firm to add 15 Metroplex stores". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. p. 39 – via Newspapers.com.
  161. ^ Christophe de Dinechin (November 9, 2007). "Grenouille Bouillie: The dawn of 3D games". Grenouille-bouillie.blogspot.com. Retrieved December 8, 2011.