There's been so much buzz circulating upcoming games of 2018, from "Spider-Man", "Red Dead Redemption 2" to "A Way Out" that it made me stop and think about what video games have become. I want to take a look back at where we came from though, not the earliest incarnations of video games, but rather what this generation grew up with and experienced on consoles like the N-64 and PlayStation 2 with some PC games as well. Do you remember late night spit-screen gaming sessions, or defeating that final boss in Resident Evil? Follow me as I go through some of the most popular games of 1998, and remember back to what we were so excited for before we grace our screens with this year's latest graphics and open-world games.

'Resident Evil 2'

Two months after the events of the original "Resident Evil", players must escape Raccoon City after a biological weapon transforms all of its citizens into zombies. Our first introduction to the now legendary Leon S. Kennedy, players controlled both Claire Redfield and Leon through Raccoon City as you solved puzzles, explored, and of course, killed zombies you could!

'Starcraft'

The basis for how an RTS game should be made. "Starcraft" has been around forever it seems and spawned a very successful franchise. Developed and published by Blizzard, "Starcraft" centers around three species fighting for dominance in a distant part of the Milky Way galaxy, known as the Koprulu Sector.

Still being played today, you can now download a copy of the original game, with expansion for free!

'Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six'

The first to a long line of the series that still lives on today, "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six" was a tactical shooter that made players rely more on stealth and planning rather than running and shooting the place up "Rambo" style.

Before each mission, you had to choose your weapons, equipment, and even camouflage. Once launched it may take a person several painstaking tries to complete a mission, having to reevaluate and change tactics to succeed. What a game changer!

'Spyro the Dragon'

You'd be hard-pressed to find a gamer who didn't play "Spyro" as a child.

The first of a series, you'll still find people playing this today as well! Gliding around, shooting fire, and picking up gems, it can't get any better! Critics praised "Spyro" for its graphics (remember, 1998) and the ability to replay it again and again. Upon defeating the end boss, players would be presented the credits, after which they could go back to each world and collect everything. Once at 100%, you would unlock access to a secret level!

'Pokemon Red and Blue'

This one was a Gameboy exclusive but still a huge deal nonetheless. Pokemon still lives on today and is adding new Pokemon each generation! I cannot count the number of hours I lost spent playing every one of these games. Parent's just didn't seem to understand that Red And Blue weren't the same! We had to have them both!

Get your friends and your Gameboy cord so you can trade and battle!

'Metal Gear Solid'

Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake! This is the one I'd always have to get help with when I was younger. I just wanted to run and shoot the bad guys. "Metal Gear Solid" is the quintessential action-adventure stealth game and still regarded by many as one of the most influential video games of all time. Cinematic cutscenes, voice acting and a great plot all turned this into one of my favorite PlayStation games to go back and replay.

'Half-Life'

When will we ever get "Half-Life 3"? This game revolutionized the way first-person shooter stories were told, relying on scripted sequences instead of cutscenes, allowing the player to maintain the first person perspective and stay part of the story.

"Half-Life" received over fifty PC "Game of the Year" awards and is considered by many to be the greatest game ever made. Whether it's your favorite is up to you.

'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'

You cannot make a list of video games from the 90's and not include "Ocarina of Time". The fifth game released in "The Legend of Zelda" series, it was the first to have 3D graphics and you could get lost in its world completing optional side quests. It introduced the targeting system known as "Z-targeting" allowing you to more effectively engage enemies and make sure you're hitting the right thing. Zelda's the girl, Link's the guy.

These are just some of the spectacular releases of 1998 that we still play and talk about today.

These games have traveled twenty years and are still a staple of life. What, if any games coming out in 2018 do you think will stand the test of time? Will we look back and still talk about "Vampyr", or "Anthem" two decades from now with the same love and fondness we do for these games?