History's Best Selling Video Games of 1997

Revisiting 1997 presents a grand parade of games history, marked by radical 90s attitude and millennium anticipation and enduring fan favorites. Unrivaled hits including Final Fantasy VII, Mischief Makers, and essential classics took top honors in living rooms and storefronts alike. Master craftsmen from industry leaders like Square and Treasure led the vanguard, engineering high-caliber releases that flew off store shelves and cemented lifelong fandoms. Dive into the full historical rankings below to see which standout creations won the day.

1. Final Fantasy VII

   Released in 1997 by Square

   On January 31, 1997, the video game landscape was forever altered with the Japanese retail debut of Square's *Final Fantasy VII*. This wasn't just another product launch; it was a seismic cultural event that saw the game sell over two million copies in its first three days alone. This milestone marked the beginning of a global phenomenon that would not only popularize the role-playing game (RPG) genre in the West but also decisively cement the Sony PlayStation's dominance as the must-own console of its generation, changing the course of gaming history.

2. Mischief Makers

   Released in 1997 by Treasure

   Mischief Makers is a standout 2D side-scrolling platformer released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997. Developed by the critically acclaimed studio Treasure and published internationally by Nintendo, it marks a significant entry in the console's library as its very first 2D side-scroller. Celebrated primarily around its Japanese release date of June 27, 1997, the game is remembered as a unique, highly experimental title that defied the era's aggressive industry shift toward fully 3D gaming environments.