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Previous years: 2001, 2000

It's time to look back at another year from the past. 2002 is right around the beginning of the multi-platform era, where at least some third party games would be released on both PS2, Xbox and PC. But we still see plenty of full on exclusives.

Matching 2001 is a tall order, but there is plenty of good stuff here if you're willing to dig a little.

• On the PS2, GTA Vice City releases just a year after III, but its quality is just as high. JRPGs are still hanging in there with Kingdom Hearts and Suikoden III. Fatal Frame scares the shit out of gamers. We also see new mascots in Ratchet and Sly.
• PC gaming is still going strong with games like Warcraft III, Battlefield 1942 and Mafia. But from here on high budget PC exclusives would become less and less common.
• Metroid Prime on the Gamecube hits with a bang as the immersive adventure reaches the highest Metacritic score of the year. The remake of the first Resident Evil becomes the definitive version of the game. Mario Sunshine gets mixed reception but is still a solid platformer. Animal Crossing kicks off the now super popular series.
• Xbox exclusives are sparse, but Splinter Cell and Jet Set Radio Future save the day along with Morrowind which is still considered to be the best Elder Scrolls game by many.
• Metroid Fusion hits the GBA going along with a slew of enhanced SNES classics.
• There are plenty of multiplatform games to go around. LOTR The Two Towers is a licenced game that is surprisingly well made. Timesplitters 2 brings the split screen goodness. Jedi Outcast brings some of the best melee combat out there. Tony Hawk 4 is a solid continuation to the series.

January 7	Rez
January 22	Forever Kingdom
January 22	Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
January 23	PaRappa the Rapper 2
January 28	AirBlade
February 1	Serious Sam: The Second Encounter
February 3	Sonic Advance
February 9	Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World
February 11	Maximo: Ghosts to Glory
February 11	Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
February 12	State of Emergency
February 19	Gitaroo Man
February 22	Jet Set Radio Future
March 2	Shadow Man: 2econd Coming
March 3	Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future
March 4	Fatal Frame
March 10	Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
March 11	Hot Shots Golf 3
March 11	Sled Storm
March 12	Mad Maestro!
March 12	Mister Mosquito
March 17	Virtua Fighter 4
March 18	Sega Soccer Slam
March 19	Bloody Roar 3
March 21	Blood Omen 2
March 25	King's Field: The Ancient City
March 26	Freedom Force
March 26	Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
March 31	Dungeon Siege
April 15	Spider-Man: The Movie
April 30	Resident Evil Remake
May 1	The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
May 7	Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
May 9	Headhunter
May 20	Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix
May 27	Lost Kingdoms
May 28	Aggressive Inline
May 29	Dropship: United Peace Force
May 29	Medal of Honor: Frontline
May 31	Way of the Samurai
June 3	Dead to Rights
June 12	Mega Man Battle Network 2
June 16	Neverwinter Nights
June 17	Wipeout Fusion
June 22	Shantae
June 23	Stuntman
June 24	SkyGunner
July 3	Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
July 22	Smuggler's Run
July 29	The Mark of Kri
July 30	Virtua Tennis 2
August 20	The Thing
August 20	Medieval: Total War
August 25	Super Monkey Ball 2
August 26	Super Mario Sunshine
August 27	SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs
August 28	Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven
August 28	Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
August 31	Turok: Evolution
September 5	Armored Core 3
September 10	Battlefield 1942
September 10	Mega Man Zero
September 10	Ty the Tasmanian Tiger
September 15	Animal Crossing
September 16	Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
September 16	Gungrave
September 17	Kingdom Hearts
September 22	Divine Divinity
September 23	Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
September 23	Tekken 4
September 23	Summoner 2
September 24	Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
September 24	The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring
September 30	No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way
September 30	Burnout 2: Point of Impact
September 30	Grandia Xtreme
October 1	Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
October 1	Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
October 9	TimeSplitters 2
October 15	Red Faction II
October 15	Wild Arms 3
October 15	BloodRayne
October 15	RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
October 21	Mario Party 4
October 21	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
October 22	Contra: Shattered Soldier
October 23	Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
October 24	Suikoden III
October 27	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
October 29	Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II (GC)
November 1	Age of Mythology
November 4	Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
November 4	Ratchet & Clank
November 5	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
November 6	The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal
November 10	Shinobi
November 11	MechAssault
November 12	Resident Evil 0
November 15	Metroid Prime
November 15	Metroid Fusion
November 17	Haven: Call of the King
November 18	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
November 19	007: Nightfire
November 21	Steel Battalion
November 25	Rygar: The Legendary Adventure
November 28	Space Channel 5 Part 2
December 3	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (GBA)
December 19	Sonic Advance 2

 

[Fahdis]

Seriously, the best year in gaming for me outside of 2001 and 2004.

 

[Sosokrates]

Vice city was crazy, I introduced it to my friends and that game + weed was a good time. Some of my friends back then were crazy and would chainsaw grandmas, we had pretty sadistic over the top humour back then.

LOTR two towers was pretty awesome, used to play that quite a bit at mates house.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

For consoles it was soso.

 

[Estocolmo]

So many great and classic games. We were so spoiled without knowing.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

Sooooooo many classics, several which I haven't played yet!

 

[Captain Toad]

Where was it called Sly Raccoon?

 

[ReBurn]

Jedi Outcast and Jet Set Radio Future. Man I loved my behemoth Xbox.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

So many bangers. Such an incredible year to be a Gamecube owner. My parents got me GTA VC for Christmas but I snatched it from where they were hiding it soon after release. It was fucking worth it.

 

[Unknown?]

Socom launched and was the a HUGE online community. I remember getting that for Christmas that year. Was great fun.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire.

 

[Craig of War]

Morrowind for me

Still the best Elder Scrolls theme