On Friday, February 28, Capcom’s long-awaited successor to the highly popularMonster Hunter World,Monster Hunter Wilds, will release. The 23rd game in the nearly 21-year-old action RPG series,Monster Hunter Wildswill once again have players embody customized professional hunters of their own design as they investigate an attack by a mysterious monster known as the White Wraith. Here, players will embark on solo or cooperative hunts to track down and defeat gigantic creatures from the Forbidden Lands. While this day will be a momentous one forMonster Hunterand Capcom fans alike, February 28 has been an important day for many other influential video games over the years.
Influential February 28 Games Released in the 1990s
One of the more popular games previously released on February 28 wasLucasArts’ 1995 FPSStar Wars: Dark Forcesfor DOS and Windows systems on PCs. Inspired by 1993’sDoom,Dark Forceswas a revolutionary game for both theStar Warsfranchise and FPS games overall, as it was the first title to introduce players to Stormtrooper turned Jedi Kyle Katarn and allowed players to look up, down, and jump. WhileDark Forces’ story is no longer canon, it was one of the first to explore how the Rebels got the Death Star plans and introduced the Dark Trooper droids, a unit that would go on to appear in several games as well as the hit Disney+ seriesThe Mandalorian.
Two years afterStar Wars: Dark Forcesreleased, another influential FPS would debut on the United States’ Nintendo 64 consoles: Acclaim Entertainment’sTurok: Dinosaur Hunter. Based on a long-running series of comic books dating back to the 1950s,Turokhad players embody a Native American man called Turok as he fought dinosaurs and aliens in a dimension called the Lost Land. Widely praised for its graphics and gameplay fidelity,Turokwent on to become one of the most successful series on the N64, receiving two sequels and a spinoff on the console. WhileTurokhas struggled to gain a foothold in the 21st century, it’s getting a second chance with the announcement ofSaber Interactive’s upcoming gameTurok: Origins.
Nightdive Studios released a remastered version ofStar Wars: Dark Forcesinternationally on Jun 13, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Influential February 28th Games Released in the 21st Century
Following the successful release of THQ’sSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, Nickelodeon’s famed fry cook would have numerous games made in his name. One of those games was theMario Party-esque multiplayer gameSpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!released on June 21, 2025 in South Korea. While its 30 minigames were received moderately well by players, it wasn’t the sequel toBattle for Bikini Bottomfans desired. That concept wouldn’t come to be until 17 years later with 2023’sSpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, which released on February 28 in Japan. A spiritual successor toBattle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated,Cosmic Shakemanaged to successfully maintain the former’s charming gameplay while introducing a fun, new story for fans.Cosmic Shakewill also get a sequel of its own sometime in 2025.
SpongeBob wasn’t the only kid-oriented property to have a successful release on February 28 in the 21st century. In 2014, European players used plants to fight zombies in 3D for the first time withPlants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare. Based on the hit 2009 tower defense mobile game,Garden Warfarecast players as the plants and zombies themselves in several third-person PVP and PVE gamemodes akin toGears of WarandCall of Dutygames.Garden Warfarewas received moderately well by critics; it helped broadenPlants vs. Zombiesaudience and was successful enough to have its story continued in several comic book series and two sequels,Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2andPlants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville.
The Debut of the Horizon Series for American Players
July 17, 2025 will have United States players face gigantic beastly opponents inMonster Hunter Wilds,but it wasn’t the first to do so on this day. In 2017, United States players were able to fight against animal-like machines in a brand-new PlayStation-exclusive game,Horizon Zero Dawn. Here, gamers first met Aloy, a Nora tribal outcast who sets out on a journey to save the world from rogue machines and murderous cultists while discovering the truth of her own mysterious origins. Aloy’s story, world, and engrossing gameplay instantly madeHorizon Zero Dawna PlayStation mainstay, which led to a sequel, a remaster, two spinoffs, two tabletop games, multiple comics, and more.Horizon Zero Dawnwill even be adapted into a filmby Columbia Pictures and PlayStation Productions.
Monster Hunter Wilds
WHERE TO PLAY
The unbridled force of nature runs wild and relentless, with environments transforming drastically from one moment to the next. This is a story of monsters and humans and their struggles to live in harmony in a world of duality.Fulfill your duty as a Hunter by tracking and defeating powerful monsters and forging strong new weapons and armor from the materials you harvest from your hunt as you uncover the connection between the people of the Forbidden Lands and the locales they inhabit.The ultimate hunting experience awaits you in Monster Hunter Wilds.
