

Arkista's Ring is a game developed by American Sammy for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. It utilizes the familiar top-down perspective featured in many action-adventure games, such as The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Shining Force. What sets it apart is the linear style of the game, as well as the limitation of one primary character. Interestingly, Arkista's Ring is an example of an early game with a female protagonist-an elf named Christine. The game is now considered to be a particularly rare NES title.
The Elven ring of Arkista has been stolen by the villainous Shogun, which has cast the entire Elven Kingdom into darkness. The only hope for the Elves is that the strong warrior Christine, equipped with only a bow, can travel throughout the Kingdom, and retrieve the ring.

Puzzle / Adventure / Action / Fantasy
Alone in the Dark is one of the first survival horror games and the first to utilize 3D models superimposed on pre-rendered backgrounds, which would become a key inspiration for upcoming horror games at the time, like the Resident Evil franchise. The player can use various weapons, such as pistol, rifle, swords and knives, though it is possible to kill most enemies with melee attacks. Some opponents can be beaten by solving a particular puzzle, while a significant number of opponents cannot be killed at all or only with certain weapons.

Shooter / Puzzle / Adventure / Action / Horror
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is a survival horror video game and the third instalment in the Resident Evil series. Like its two predecessors, it is a third-person action-adventure game with polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds with cinematic camera angles. Although the game uses the same basic engine and gameplay as the previous games, the gameplay is improved by features such as auto-targeting, a 180-degree spin, and a new dodge move that allows Jill to avoid enemy attacks. The PC and Dreamcast versions include all eight of Jill's possible costumes, as well as the mercenary mini-game Operation Mad Jackal, which allows players to play as one of the three Umbrella soldiers. On the PlayStation version, these special features must be unlocked by beating the game with a high score.

Shooter / Puzzle / Adventure / Action / Science fiction
Dino Crisis is a survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom in 1999. Set in a remote research facility, it follows special agent Regina as she investigates a scientific experiment gone wrong. The game combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat against hostile dinosaurs. It uses a real-time 3D environment rather than pre-rendered backgrounds, distinguishing it from earlier Capcom horror titles. Dino Crisis is often noted for its emphasis on tension, limited resources, and fast, unpredictable enemies.

Shooter / Puzzle / Adventure / Action / Horror
Resident Evil is a survival horror classic in which a group of special forces agents, known as S.T.A.R.S, struggle against hordes of zombies and various other mutants in a mysterious mansion as they try to uncover the truth behind the terrifying infection. The gameplay environment consists of polygonal 3D characters placed over pre-rendered 2D backgrounds. As such, the game relies on pre-determined camera angles for a view of the action instead of a real-time camera like most games. The game is credited for coining the phrase "survival horror" and popularizing the genre.

Shooter / Puzzle / Adventure / Action / Science fiction
Fear Effect is an action adventure waiting to unfold! Wee Ming Lam disappears a few days before her 18th birthday under mysterious circumstances. Three ruthless mercenaries conspire to track her down and ransom her off to her father, Mr. Lam, a powerful Triad leader in Hong Kong. An extortion mission to retrieve Wee Ming Lam becomes a lesson in survival against the most unimaginable of enemies.

Platform / Puzzle / Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Action / Horror
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness is a video game that was developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo 64. It was first released in North America on November 30, 1999 and is a prequel and expanded version to the first Castlevania game on the Nintendo 64, but also contains a remake of the original game with improved graphics, added villains (Spider Queen, Medusa), and alternate versions of some levels (Forest of Silence, Tower of Science, Tower of Execution, Clock Tower).

Platform / Puzzle / Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Action / Horror
Take control of Reinhardt Schneider, a whip-toting Vampire Killer who has waited his whole life to meet his destiny, or Carrie Fernandez, a young girl with a strong magical presence who is mysteriously drawn to Dracula's evil Castlevania. It is their duty to seek out Castlevania and put an end to its residents' plans. What is your destiny?

Puzzle / Adventure / Action / Horror
Silent Hill is the first installment in the Silent Hill series of psychological survival horror video games. Unlike earlier survival horror games that focused on protagonists with combat training, the main character Harry Mason is an average man. The gameplay consists of combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving. The controller vibration is used to indicate Harry's heartbeat and will vibrate on low health. The player must regularly enter an inventory screen to check Harry's health, use items, and equip different weapons.