Share
Gaming anniversaries often remind us of how old we are, but when these great games come back to mind, they often bring up where our love of the medium comes from. It also tells us how far we’ve come as an industry and community. Below are the major gaming anniversaries coming up in 2022 from 10 years to 40 years.
January
Not a lot of games release in January, but we saw a few JRPG standouts like the underappreciated Final Fantasy XIII-2 10 years ago and Romancing SaGa 30 years ago.
- Rez (20th) – January 7 (North America)
- Parappa The Rapper 2 (20th) – January 23
- Mutant Mudds (10th) – January 26
- AirBlade (20th) – January 28
- Romancing SaGa (SNES) (30th) – January 28
- Final Fantasy XIII-2 (10th) – January 31
- Soulcalibur V (10th) – January 31
- Bucky ‘O Hare (NES) (30th) – January 31
- Die Hard (NES) (30th) – January 1992
February
In the month of February, we saw the release of Sony’s best and final handheld the PlayStation Vita. It gave us plenty of gems like Uncharted: Golden Abyss and other exciting third-party titles to play. In addition, the fan-favorite Sonic Advance made its way 20 years ago.
- Sonic Advance (20th) – February 3
- The Darkness II (10th) – February 7
- Resident Evil Revelations (10th) – February 7
- Gotham City Imposters (10th) – February 8
- Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World (20th) – February 9
- Maximo: Ghosts to Glory (20th) – February 11
- Star Wars: Racer Revenge (20th) – February 11
- State of Emergency (20th) – February 12
- Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (10th) – February 14
- Twisted Metal (PS3) (10th) – February 14
- PlayStation Vita Launch (10th) – February 15
- Little Deviants (10th) – February 15
- Uncharted: Golden Abyss (10th) – February 15
- Dear Esther (10th) – February 15
- Gitaroo Man (20th) – February 19 (North America)
- Dig Dug (Arcade) (40th) – February 20 (Japan)
- Asura’s Wrath (10th) – February 21
- Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (10th) – February 22
- Escape Plan (10th) – February 22
- Wipeout 2048 (10th) – February 22
- Jet Set Radio Future (20th) – February 22
- Pac-Man World 2 (20th) – February 24
- PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond (10th) – February 27
- Binary Domain (10th) – February 28
- SSX (PS3/Xbox 360) (10th) – February 28
- Contra III: The Alien Wars (30th) – February 28
- Wakfu (10th) – February 29
- Haunted House (Atari 2600) (40th) – February 1982
March
Sora’s magical journey began 20 years prior this month in Kingdom Hearts’ Japanese debut, while Mass Effect 3 disappointed fans with its mediocre ending.
- The Simpsons: Tapped Out (10th) – March 1
- Persona 4: Arena (10th) – March 1 (Japan)
- Mass Effect 3 (10th) – March 6
- Stacking (10th) – March 6
- Street Fighter X Tekken (10th) – March 6
- Unit 13 (10th) – March 6
- Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (20th) – March 10
- Hot Shots Golf 3 (20th) – March 11 (North America)
- Mario Party 9 (10th) – March 11
- Mister Mosquito (20th) – March 13 (North America)
- Journey (10th) – March 13
- Silent Hill: Downpour (10th) – March 13
- Tales of Graces f (10th) – March 13
- Yakuza: Dead Souls (10th) – March 13
- Virtua Fighter 4 (PS2) (20th) – March 17
- Ninja Gaiden 3 (10th) – March 20
- Shining Force (30th) – March 20
- Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (10th) – March 20
- Sine Mora (10th) – March 21
- Resident Evil Remake (20th) – March 22 (Japan)
- Kid Icarus Uprising (10th) – March 23
- Freedom Force (20th) – March 26
- Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (20th) – March 26
- Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (30th) – March 27
- Kingdom Hearts (20th) – March 28 (Japan)
- Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance (10th) – March 29 (Japan)
- Alisia Dragoon (30th) – March 30
- Kid Chameleon (30th) – March 1992
April
In this month, we finally saw the release of Xenoblade Chronicles in North America after many petitions. The now monolithic mobile game Candy Crush Saga also made its start on browsers.
- Kinect Star Wars (10th) – April 3
- Xenoblade Chronicles (10th) – April 6 (North America)
- Skullgirls (10th) – April 10
- Candy Crush Saga (10th) – April 12
- Fez (10th) – April 13
- Spider-Man: The Movie (20th) – April 15
- Ultima VII: The Black Gate (30th) – April 16
- Prototype 2 (10th) – April 24
- Last Resort (30th) – April 24
- The Walking Dead: Episode 1 (10th) – April 25
- Kirby’s Dream Land (Game Boy) (30th) – April 27 (Japan)
- Resident Evil Remake (20th) – April 30 (North America)
- Dig Dug (Arcade) (40th) – April 1982 (North America)
- Pitfall! (Atari 2600) (40th) – April 1982
May
A few MMOs began in the month of May, such as TERA and Final Fantasy XI. Yars’ Revenge also made its way to the video game scene all the way back 40 years ago on the Atari 2600.
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (20th) – May 1
- TERA (10th) – May 1
- Wolfenstein 3D (30th) – May 5
- Starhawk (10th) – May 8
- Soul Sacrifice (10th) – May 13
- Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku (20th) – May 14
- Diablo III (10th) – May 15
- Max Payne 3 (10th) – May 15
- PixelJunk 4am (10th) – May 15
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (10th) – May 15
- Final Fantasy XI (20th) – May 16 (Japan)
- Dragon’s Dogma (10th) – May 22
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (10th) – May 22
- Medal of Honor: Frontline (20th) – May 29
- Ninja Commando (30th) – May 29
- Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland (10th) – May 29 (North America)
- Yars’ Revenge (Atari 2600) (40th) – May 1982
June
Indie darling franchise Shantae and cult classic Gravity Rush were released 20 years ago and 10 years ago respectively. They both push the boundary for female protagonists in gaming. Some treasured arcade games like Tron and The House of the Dead III made history in June.
- The House of the Dead III (20th) – June 1
- Dead to Rights (20th) – June 3
- Digimon World 3 (20th) – June 5
- Mega Man Battle Network 2 (20th) – June 12 (North America)
- Gravity Rush (10th) – June 12
- Lollipop Chainsaw (10th) – June 12
- Neverwinter Nights (20th) – June 16
- Pokémon Conquest (10th) – June 18
- Quantum Conundrum (10th) – June 21
- Shantae (20th) – June 22
- Stuntman (20th) – June 23
- Tron Arcade Game (40th) – Summer 1982
July
Indie hit Spelunky, which is still being played today, dropped on to digital platforms 10 years ago. We also saw the North American releases of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior on SNES and Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance in the month of July.
- Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (20th) – July 3
- Spelunky (10th) – July 4
- Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (SNES) (30th) – July 15 (North America)
- Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance (10th) – July 31 (North America)
- Joust (40th) – Between July and September 1982
August
One of the most popular gaming franchises in the world Mario Kart sped its way to the SNES in August 30 years ago. The CollecoVision also launched 40 years ago.
- CollecoVision console release (40th) – August 1982
- Splatterhouse 2 (30th) – August 3
- Persona 4 Arena (10th) – August 7 (North America)
- Sound Shapes (10th) – August 7
- Darksiders II (10th) – August 14
- Sleeping Dogs (10th) – August 14
- The Last Story (10th) – August 14 (North America)
- Dust: An Elysian Tail (10th) – August 15
- Donkey Kong Jr. (40th) – August 17 (Japan)
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 (10th) – August 19
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (10th) – August 21
- Super Monkey Ball 2 (20th) – August 25
- BurgerTime (40th) – August 25 (Japan)
- Super Mario Sunshine (20th) – August 26
- Super Mario Kart (30th) – August 27 (Japan)
- SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs (20th) – August 27
- Guild Wars 2 (10th) – August 28
- Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny (20th) – August 28 (North America)
September
September has seen the rise of the Battlefield series, as well as the beginning of the platformer franchise Sly Cooper. The esteemed fighting game Namco series Tekken has also had notable two releases in September.
- Mark of the Ninja (10th) – September 7
- Battlefield 1942 (20th) – September 10
- Ty The Tasmanian Tiger (20th) – September 10
- Axelay (30th) – September 11
- Double Dragon Neon (10th) – September 11
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (10th) – September 11
- Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (20th) – September 16
- Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex (20th) – September 17
- Kingdom Hearts (20th) – September 17 (North America)
- Borderlands 2 (10th) – September 18
- Torchlight II (10th) – September 20
- Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (20th) – September 23
- Tekken 4 (20th) – September 23
- Art of Fighting (30th) – September 24
- Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island (20th) – September 24
- Dead or Alive 5 (10th) – September 25
- Dragon Quest V (30th) – September 27
- Burnout 2 (20th) – September 30
- King’s Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (30th) – September 30
- Bionic Commando (30th) – September 1992
- Contra Force (30th) – September 1992
- Pole Position (40th) – September 1992
October
October is home to the launch of Q*Bert and Mortal Kombat arcade machines. In addition, Night Trap shocked audiences in the U.S. 30 years ago, leading to the creation of the ESRB. Assassin’s Creed III disappointed fans with its dull main protagonist Connor.
- Pokémon Black and White 2 (10th) – October 7
- Mortal Kombat (30th) – October 8
- TimeSplitters 2 (20th) – October 8
- Dishonored (10th) – October 9
- Fable: The Journey (10th) – October 9
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown (10th) – October 9
- Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 (20th) – October 15
- Night Trap (30th) – October 15
- 007 Legends (10th) – October 16
- Dance Central 3 (10th) – October 16
- Mario Party 4 (20th) – October 21
- Super Mario 2: 6 Golden Coins (30th) – October 21
- Forza Horizon (10th) – October 23
- Suikoden III (20th) – October 24
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (20th) – October 27
- Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (10th) – October 28
- Assassin’s Creed III (10th) – October 30
- Assassin’s Creed: Liberation (10th) – October 30
- Q*Bert (40th) – October 1982
- Super Pac-Man (40th) – October 1982
November
Sonic the Hedgehog blast processed his way into the holiday-friendly November spot 30 years ago alongside his buddy Tails. Ratchet & Clank also had their start on the PS2, blending a playful shooter and a platformer together. We also saw the release of the Wii U, one of Nintendo’s worst-selling consoles of all time.
- Spyro: Enter the Butterfly (20th) – November 3
- Ratchet & Clank (20th) – November 4
- Halo 4 (10th) – November 6
- LittleBigPlanet Karting (10th) – November 6
- Medal of Honor: Frontline (20th) – November 7
- Resident Evil 0 (20th) – November 12
- Thomas Was Alone (10th) – November 12
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II (10th) – November 13
- Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified (10th) – November 13
- Wonderbook: Book of Spells (10th) – November 13
- Scribblenauts Unlimited (10th) – November 13
- Alone in the Dark (30th) – November 14
- Metroid Prime (20th) – November 15
- Wii U Console Launch (10th) – November 18
- Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (10th) – November 18
- New Super Mario Bros. U (10th) – November 18
- Nintendo Land (10th) – November 18
- Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed (10th) – November 18
- ZombiU (10th) – November 18
- Little Inferno (10th) – November 18
- Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (20th) – November 18
- Hitman: Absolution (10th) – November 20
- Persona 4 Golden (10th) – November 20
- PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (10th) – November 20
- The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse (30th) – November 20
- Yoshi’s Cookie (30th) – November 21 (Japan)
- Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire (20th) – November 21 (Japan)
- Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (30th) – November 21 (Japan) 24 (North America)
- Dark Chronicle/Dark Cloud 2 (20th) – November 28 (Japan)
- Time Killers (30th) – November 1992
- Star Control II (30th) – November 1992
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0 (40th) – November 1982
- Vectrex Console Launch (40th) – November 1982
- Atari 5200 Console Launch (40th) – November 1982
- BurgerTime (40th) – November 1982 (North America)
December
Lastly, December gave us the definition of insanity 10 years ago with Far Cry 3. While controversial when it first released in 2002, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is now regarded as one of the best adventures for our green tunic hero.
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon (20th) – December 1
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai (20th) – December 3
- Far Cry 3 (10th) – December 4
- Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (20th) – December 7
- Fatal Fury 2 (30th) – December 10
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (20th) – December 13
- Sonic Advance 2 (20th) – December 9 (Japan)
- Mega Man 5 (30th) – December 4 (Japan) and December 15 (North America)
- Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star (10th) – December 25
- Dune II (30th) – December 1992
Discuss this article with the community!
Reddit | Discord
