Modern video games are impressive displays of development prowess. Games like the newest Call of Duty and Halo, Fortnite, or even League of Legends have engaging and optimized gameplay loops. These games look fantastic and offer a fun, sometimes even addicting, gameplay experience. However, gamers still look to the past for the best experiences. Fond memories ruminate of games from when they were children, games they played when life was simpler. This sparks revivals and remasters for many games and, for others, keeps them being replayed even in their obsolete state. Here are 10 of the best retro classics that have captivated gamers for years!
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (2000)
A game that ranked exceptionally well with critics is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2! This game was rated over 90 by critics on Metacritic on every platform it was released on! It offered the ability to hit some sick skate tricks. It may have inspired the Skate series and definitely inspired a generation of skateboarders!
Mario Party 3 (2000)
If you’re having a night in with friends, one of the best things you can do is play a party game. While you could choose a more modern indie game like Crawl or Ultimate Chicken Horse, which are both great options with minimal system requirements and plenty of replay value, nothing beats the classics. Mario Party 3, released on the Nintendo 64 in 2000, was a pivotal moment in the Mario Party series and the Mario franchise. For one, it’s the first Mario Party game where you can play as Waluigi, which is enough to make it a classic. However, it also enables players to hold three items instead of just one and introduces dozens of new minigames! Some of these minigames are still playable in the newest Mario Party game, Mario Party Superstars!
Spyro: Reignited Trilogy (Original Trilogy, 1998-2000)
If you’ve ever played a Spyro game, you know they’re classics full of things to do. While the newer Spyro games, such as the Skylanders series, are great fun, they don’t compare to the classics. The original three games, Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon, are some of the most enjoyable games ever released. Sure, they’re simple platformers with minimal combat aspects, but they’re a great change of pace from today’s hustle and bustle. Spyro: Reignited Trilogy is a nostalgic blast from the past that allows you to experience these original Spyro games yet again on modern consoles with breathtaking graphics!
OldSchool Runescape (Runescape 2, 2001)
Another game that was re-released for nostalgic purposes is OldSchool Runescape. In late 2012, Runescape creator Jagex started making some decisions with the popular MMORPG that left a bad taste in players’ mouths. In 2013, the game evolved from Runescape 2 into Runescape 3. Many players quit due to a massive gameplay shift centered around an evolution in the combat system. Later in 2013, a poll was run on the Runescape website asking if players wanted a version of Runescape 2 to be re-released. It passed, and OldSchool Runescape servers were up and running later that year. Had it not been for a clever team member keeping a backup of the beloved 2007 version of the game, we would no longer have the classic “medieval cookie clicker” we all know and love.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises. Only surpassed by the likes of Pokémon and Mario, it has had millions of fans and dozens of releases over the past few decades. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time holds an all-time video game record, being the only game ever to score a 99 on Metacritic. Not all the games on this list are here for their critic scores, but Ocarina of Time was beloved by both critics and the general audience! When the Nintendo 3DS was released, Nintendo even created a 3D remaster of the game. It sold alongside the handheld to pique the nostalgia of people who loved the game and introduce it to a new generation!
Crash Bandicoot: N-Sane Trilogy (Original Trilogy, 1996-1998)
Much like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot had an incredible run to kick things off. Its later releases, such as Crash Tag Team Racing and Crash Nitro Kart, were massively popular and even inspired their own nostalgic re-releases. However, like Spyro, the original three games were remastered on modern consoles with the N-Sane Trilogy. Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped were some of the most wholesome and enjoyable classic gaming experiences of all time. They are so well remembered; bringing them back with a modernized look and feel was a no-brainer!
Pokemon Red & Blue (1996)
The Pokemon Company, a joint venture between Game Freak and Nintendo, spawned one of the most successful franchises of all time in the late 1990s. Pokemon was originally just a bug-collecting monster trading game that evolved into a full-blown universe for children and adults alike to explore! The original games, Pokemon Red and Pokemon Green (Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue outside Japan) were released to great effect. The prospect of catching all 150 pokemon captured the hearts and minds of so many children that the Pokemon franchise continues running strong over 25 years later!
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (1992)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 was the second Sonic game made for Sega in the 1990s. It features nostalgic tunes and locations. This side-scrolling platformer game helped build Sonic into the massive franchise it is today. New content is being released all the time, such as Sonic Frontiers and Sonic 2 (movie) in 2022! The original games gave the franchise a massive fanbase, and Sonic The Hedgehog 2 was arguably the highlight of the series!
Klondike Solitaire (Windows 3.0 Version, 1990)
Released alongside many versions of Windows since 1990, klondike solitaire is a version of solitaire frequently played in digital form. This form of solitaire is arguably the world’s most popular card game and can be found in references dating back hundreds of years. The game seems simple, but it’s deceptively tricky. In fact, only about half of all games are solvable if three cards are dealt. However, if you’re only playing with one card dealt and an undo button, nearly any game can be completed. Solitaire has been adapted many times into many different forms, but this one is one of the purest and simplest, and millions of people have played it in their homes and offices for decades. Indeed it is the epitome of easy-to-learn, hard-to-master.
Tetris (1984)
Tetris is such a well-known classic that there’s a good chance even your grandparents have heard of it. Released in the 1980s in Soviet Russia, it’s a mind-bending puzzle game that has had many re-imaginations over the years. Modern versions such as Tetris Effect: Connected feature interesting mechanics like Zone, where blocks stop falling, and you must stick as many as possible while the clock ticks down to unleash a massive combo! Original versions of the game are more straightforward but just as engaging and puzzling. Tetris is so well-loved it’s still played competitively nearly 40 years after its initial release.
We Keep Going Back To The Classics
As you can see, a broad range of retro classics has inspired more than a generation of gamers to reminisce on the past for a nostalgic gaming experience. RPGs like Runescape, World of Warcraft, Pokemon, Legend of Dragoon, and Final Fantasy allow you to build your character or team and take on the world. Platformers like Spyro, Jax and Daxter, and Crash Bandicoot have you collecting items and slapping foes into the ground. Puzzle games are some of the oldest and most well-known, with timeless classics like Tetris and Klondike Solitaire challenging your mind. Retro games are not only timeless and nostalgic, but they also have a level of breadth that’s hard to find in today’s gaming landscape.
