The Best Year in Gaming: 1987 vs. 2006

Welcome back to our Best Year in Gaming March Madness bracket competition! Yesterday we looked at 1980 vs. 1990 and it was a tough competition between the two years. This was the closest vote we've had yet - when I finally checked in on the results, 1990 had won by only three votes. I'm not sure it has a better chance than 1980 of going any deeper than this, but I think there's enough going for it that it's a fair win.

Result: 1990 Wins

Today we have what may be the closest competition yet in the bracket, as 1987 and 2006 square off.

VS.

1987 brings a lot of heavy hitters to the table as it's chock full of classic Nintendo games like Mega Man, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, Zelda II: Adventure of Link, Final Fantasy, Contra, and Dragon Quest II, not to mention arcade classics like Street Fighter, After Burner, and R-Type. Add to that Spiel des Jahres winner Auf Asche and a little game called Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and you've got yourself an incredible year.

In the other corner, 2006 gives us the breakout year for the Xbox 360, with the original Gears of War becoming a massive hit and a host of some of the best games in the RTS genre - Dawn of War's Dark Crusade expansion, Medieval 2 Total War, Battle for Middle Earth II, Company of Heroes, and Rise of Legends all added a new twist to the mix. And the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 launched, but the hottest titles for Nintendo and Sony consoles were still a year behind, with Mother 3, Twilight Princess, and Final Fantasy XII.

If you’re interested in voting on the outcome, head over to our Patreon and join our Discord server to vote. Otherwise, check back tomorrow for the winner and the next matchup in the Southeast Conference.

This article is part of a larger series on the best year in gaming. For more years, click this link. Have any questions or feedback? Drop us a note in the comments below or email us at contact@goonhammer.com.