As a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s, I was influenced by a lot of things. I gravitated toward Hulk Hogan, Macho Man and professional wrestling. I thought I was a young thug listening to west coast gangsta rap. And I played video games. A lot of video games. And these video games, for better or for worse, have really shaped me into the person writing these words here today. And I'm certainly not alone.

While video games had technically already been around for a couple of decades, they really came into their own during the 1990s and really made their way through mainstream culture. It was during this time that many of today's major game genres were established by industry-defining titles. From fighting games to RPGs, real-time strategy to first-person shooters, the 90s were where it was at and we've all been irreversibly altered as a result.

The following list is presented in no particular order, but with the caveat that only one title from any series can be represented. Let's get started.