Yeah, those red X's are pretty iconic!
I choose Ocarina of Time for the N64, which is interesting for me because I didn't even play it in the 90s! It must have been at least 2003, but it still stood up to some of the latest offerings. It included everything I love about games - exploration, a fun storyline, great music, amusing sub-quests for when I got bored... and more. All on a small cartridge. It may have been released towards the end of the decade (1998 I think), but it was the product of a decade of rapid gaming evolution, from simple 2D affairs to the latest in 3D graphics. And yet it still retained and perfected all the elements (above) that make a game great...
The screenshots on the web are mostly rubbish, and I can't take one myself. Given the choice, I'd take a view across the Hyrule Field, with the castle in the distance against the sunset, Link riding Epona (the horse!) in the foreground. The elements of graphical beauty, exploration and adventure all in one shot. But as I don't have the choice, try this:
The title screen, with its haunting music and montage of great locations, makes a good substitute.
