Back in the days when it was still legal to smoke in restaurants, Bill Clinton was still harassing all White House staff not possessing a Y-chromosome, and ill-fated gamers around the world were making the regrettable decision to trade in their Playstation Ones for Dreamcasts, the world of video games was a decidedly different place. Back then we couldn't laugh at zealous 13-year-olds on Call of Duty, we weren't spammed with myriad third person cover shooters, and the less said about the graphics the better. This isn't to say the year 2000 didn't see some truly classic titles. Indeed, of those games included in this retrospective list, nearly all titles garnered in excess of 90% on Metacritic. Nowadays we're lucky if we get a 9/10 title every six months; it wouldn't be exaggerating to say that 2000 was a golden age in the world of video gaming. Some current developers could take a leaf out of the book of their predecessors, focusing less on technological advancements and more on innovations in gameplay. 14-years is a long time, but we still fondly remember some of these important releases to this day. Join us as we take a look back at 14 video games you won't believe are celebrating their 14th birthdays this year; prepare to feel extremely old...
14. Crash Bash (November 6, 2000)
Perhaps one of the lesser-known games featured here, the amount of hours wiled away playing this enjoyable little mini-game compilation is best left undisclosed. The anthropomorphic bandicoot with attitude was best known for his lead role in Naughty Dog's stellar platforming series, but the developers were looking to take the franchise into uncharted waters, first releasing the Crash Team Racing in 1999, before attempting to crack the party market with the awesome Crash Bash around a year later.
13. Shogun: Total War (June 13, 2000)
The very first entry into what has developed into one of the finest strategy games out there, to not appreciate the influence the seminal Shogun: Total War had on its more fondly remembered younger siblings (most notably Rome) would be madness. Shogun: Total War is the only entry in the series which isn't based in Europe. You are tasked with commanding a clan towards dominance in feudal Japan, utilising both the proverbial sword and pen to achieve your goals. Creative Assembly revisited Japan a couple of years ago with Shogun: Total War II which - much like the original game back in 2000 - received widespread critical acclaim upon its release.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
