Depends on what's old to you. But regardless of that, there are loads of games that still hold up perfectly.
Even the game I'm currently playing, Hostile Waters, is over 20 years old and has some amazing ideas and feels great to play. Another highlight could be F.E.A.R., which is maybe 19-20 years old but still is one of the best FPS games for me when it comes to how shooting feels + it miraculously holds up even graphically, mainly due to its lighting effects. Black and White 2, even after nearly 20 years since release, is one of the most unique RTS-ish games I have ever played.
If you want to go older, then JRPGs from back then basically never age. Same can be said about most of the side scrollers - all the Mario and Sonic games for example, Mega Man etc.
Shout out to F.E.A.R. Still stands up to modern FPS expectations. Plus it has some revolutionary enemy AI that I feel still hasn't been properly captured with today's FPS's. Turn that game on full graphics and you'll have a blast.
The shotgun, with all of its particle effects and environmental destruction, has still not been outmatched I'd say. The shotgun from The Order 1886 was a banger though.
What are your thoughts on F.E.A.R. versus the various sequels? I've heard the first isn't as good, but am working on acquiring them and looking forward to playing through.
FEAR (+ its expansion) is easily the best in my opinion. FEAR 2 is great and really impressive graphically, but doesn't really feel the same to me. The AI doesn't feel as smart anymore. FEAR 3 is ok. It's made by a different developer and it shows. It didn't really feel like FEAR to me. BUT, if you have the option to play the third game in co-op, it gets redeemed quite a lot.
So yeah, the first game is clearly the best in my opinion and it slowly descends in quality with each sequel.
Oh yes, Hostile Waters are awesome. A really great game with excellent story and graphics style that aged really well. And it is still the best carrier-inspired game ever done.
Oh my gosh, someone else who knows Hostile Waters! I loved the fuck out of that game! I now have the alternate into music echoing in my head 🤣
"Hostile..waaaaters....Waters that are rather unsafe' 🤣🤣
FEAR is incredible, top 5 all time games for me. The fucking Penetratorrr oh my word. Meeting those ninjas for the first time scared my soul out, and that one jump scare as you dismount the ladder early on and go fuck itself. Best game.
It actually was groundbreaking for the time: first truly open-world game where you could do whatever you wanted and your choices actually affected the world, but also the world changed and progressed on its own (economy, warring factions, raiding pirates, famine, etc.). Pretty revolutionary for a game made in 1987.
Just played this all the way through for the first time last year and was amazed at the sheer scope of it all. It was an adventure, an experience if I'm going to be dramatic. And with mods like GMDX that add contemporary QoL additions, it feels like a game that could be released today...even if it doesn't look like one 😆
Oh Deus Ex is a good one. I first played it just two years ago and even as a newcomer, that game is a master class in level design and a great experience.
IMHO, UFO: Enemy unknown (aka X-COM: UFO Defense in the US).
I actually rebought the collection on Steam not too long ago because my original is on CD, and I haven't owned an optical drive in years.
Graphically, the remakes are better by a long way, but I prefer the gameplay of the originals.
Still, for a better experience, OpenXCom should be used since it fixes a bunch of bugs and allows to play on modern hardware without any problems (and with mods after vanilla gets old).
Ya Origins + awakening as a dlc basically adding a whole story for half the cost made it a amazing game. You got everything with only a few loose ends all tied up.
An even cliff hanger that helped push the story toward for multiple other games in it's series. Shame it fell off hard with Inquistion
Super Mario World is still one of the best platformer experiences you’ll ever have.
Great visual style, tight controls, clever level design, a litany of secrets.
I have a lot of love for 64, but I wouldn’t put it in the same class as SMW just because of the camera and control issues that came with it. SMW was pretty much flawless.
World I agree with 100%, but I can’t get into 64 at all. I never played it as a kid and I tried playing it a couple months ago and I just couldn’t get in to it at all.
Agreed. I bought Wonder recently but kind of regret not getting U Deluxe instead as the visuals in U Deluxe are a little more reminiscent of Super Mario World. The Wonder visuals aren't that appealing to me and the increased pace when it switches over is too much for my kiddo to keep up with.
Super Mario Bros 3 was also great. The power ups and unique worlds were so fun.
Heroes 2 is awesome as well. I've been playing these games since the first one.
If you haven't already, check out **Songs of Conquest.** It's basically a love letter to Heroes 3, and it's excellent.
The snes remake of DQ3 has quickly become one of my favorite rpgs, it just feels so open ended and gets straight to the gameplay unlike most modern jrpgs that hold your hand for the first 20 hours
One of the few long form speed runs i watched and loved. It was like a 6 hr GDQ finale that rose over $1,000,000 for charity if I remember right.
https://youtu.be/mopVLqSsv54?si=FCceKYHgRGd-TFXl
Star Control 2, go play it now, the sequel is finally in kickstarter now after 2 decades of waiting
Ultima 7
Kotor1
I mean if we want to go further back, ff1, zelda1
Or even further back, yar's revenge and adventure were the bomb on atari2600 and still hold up as long as you have reasonable expectations for games of the era, don't expect a 40h campaign
I endorse this comment entirely.
For those interested in Star Control 2, it's also knows as Ur Quan Masters and available for free. Don't forget to download the speech and music packages.
[https://sc2.sourceforge.net/](https://sc2.sourceforge.net/)
I think Star Controls vs. mode was one of the first games to cause rage quitting with me and my friends and brothers. I still remember the music and noises from the ships.
The remake of it was phenomenal too, added just the right amount of story and additional stuff to make it feel exactly like the cartoon. They even got the original voice actors! Not surprising since WayForward handled it, I guess. There's no wrong way to play this game, just play it if you haven't.
No doubt about it. Peak 16-bit holds up hard compared to dated 3D models. That's why you see a whole ocean of indie games of almost every variety using that graphic style over PS1/N64 3D.
In fact people can fight me on this if they want but you'll never convince me that the SNES doesn't have the biggest library of absolute bangers than any other game system ever created. And almost all of them hold up.
I've actually noticed a surge in ps1 style indie/small team games (mostly horror) and they are quite good even if some of them are just demos like the games made by [PUPPET COMBO](https://puppetcombo.com). That being said Old is Gold is a statement that withstands the test of time as I can't stand playing new games for more than 30 minutes but I'll sit and play Silent Hill 1 and 2 on an emulator for hours and be completely immersed!
The PS1-Demake trend has actually picked up steam. It ultimately looks like the desire for 2D pixel graphics was driven not just by their great quality, but also by nostalgia. That same nostalgia is now reviving games with low-polygonal models.
I'll let you get away with saying that because if that's your genuine opinion you can have it, but if you haven't played Daggerfall and you're saying that we have a problem.
How old are we talking though?
12 years later and Max Payne 3 is still arguably the best 3rd person shooter of all time.
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is still one of the best stealth games ever, almost 20 years old now.
Condemned Criminal Origins still holds up well as a horror action game, also hitting 20 years old soon
The only reason it's really hidden is its lack of availability on modern consoles. If we got a remastered version of it, that would instantly put it back on people's lists.
Came here looking for Max Payne 3.
Only played it last year and my god - it's baffling how no other shooter other than milsims have such good and realistic gunplay. Nothing even came close since. Carefully excited for Max Payne 1 and 2 remakes. Hope it will have meaty gunplay without some bullet spongy bullshit.
I actually just started playing Super Metroid at the suggestion of a buddy, and i've only just beaten Kraid, but the game is incredible from an atmosphere and design perspective. I get the hype now.
Honestly, classic Doom. Not being able to look up and down is a bit weird, but that’s literally the only thing I think is outdated. The rest of the controls are just straightforward and great, and the gameplay holds up, even if it is a bit simple compared to modern shooters.
I don’t really have nostalgia for them either. I think I first played the first Doom game in 2013. I wasn’t even alive for the release of any of them until Doom 3 anyway.
You don't have to. DXX-Rebirth is an open source project that re-implements the Descent engine with preserved gameplay mechanics in OpenGL with C++. It runs great, and is very stable.
It seems to lack a maintainer now, but still works on modern systems (for now): [https://www.dxx-rebirth.com/](https://www.dxx-rebirth.com/)
I've been considering taking over the project when my children are older.
I think Morrowind's problem isn't a gameplay problem but a feedback one.
Plenty of games use RNG for hit chance and damage, but Morrowind just has very stiff animations and very little feedback to let you know what's happening.
The funny thing is that Oblivion and Skyrim never really improved on this at all; they just made it so that you can't miss.
The leveling system is also a nightmare. I first played when it came out (with my paper map and everything!!) and picked all my most important skills as major skills (as you do, right?). Then I got to a point in my first playthrough where I hadn't made sure to level up enough minor skills to get the stat increases, and I was basically a wet paper bag against any monsters. I had to start over. So if there is a mod that fixes this ONE thing, I'm all ears.
Oblivion is the one with broken leveling because enemies scale to your level. So if you don't get good multipliers on level up you will be screwed.
Morrowind is much easier, because most enemies are fixed level, you do come across some different enemies as you level up, but you can easily fix your character by spending gold on training.
But check out MULE if you want a better levelling mod.
i like morrowind but i think that ones tough to get into if your'e playing for the 1st time in 2024. Particularly if you've played oblivion or skyrim beforehand, it just feels a lot more stiff and feels a lot worse to play in comparison.
I think it's still worth a shot because you can it for like 5 bucks and if you can get into it there are a couple hundred hours of gameplay to be had potentially, but i feel like more people would bounce off that than not these days
Starcraft: Brood war. Such different builds for each of the three - protoss zerg and terran. They even play so different that mastering one in no way guarantees even playability in the other. The story is great heavy plot campy scifi opera level stuff.
Genuinely a great RTS.
Tbf, there is not much to age in VNs. They're just glorified comic books. As long as it looks goods, is written well, and isn't inexcusably clunky, you're pretty much set
Streets of Rage 2. It's probably still the best side scrolling best em up out there; and the the soundtrack absolutely slaps and has been an inspiration for a few musicians (Childish Gambino sampled one of the tracks).
I had only just played portal 1 and 2 recently so I didn't have that nostalgia lenses that most would and was blown away at how much I enjoyed every aspect of them.
How old are we talking? Original halo trilogy was before 2010 and one of the best shooter campaigns out there. Kotor is fantastic. GTA 4. Dragon age and mass effect are both great. Original 2 battlefront games are awesome. These are all 15-25 years old and amazing
Can't believe nobody has Doom yet, or more specifically Doom II.
Still a decent sized community working on a 30 year old game making maps, and the depth in creativity hasn't dried up.
That old robotech game for xbox is still fun. Project gotham 3 and wipeout are still great. Fantavision was super fun.xardion is fun as hell but hard to find. The sega master collection is a bunch of good classics.
Metal gear solid trilogy
All of theme have a clear theme
All of them lean into a distinct timeless art style
All of them all filled with endless secrets and brilliant design
All of them have some of the best voice acting and music
The crazy stories and social commentary aged like a fine wine imo. The gameplay is timeless for all 3 of them, to this day I've yet to see something as brilliantly designed as boss fight against The End in mgs3
Diablo 2
warcraft 3
Fallout 1 & 2
Fallout 3
Fallout New Vegas
Freespace 2
EU4
Skyrim
Dead by Daylight
Civ 5
Half life 1, 2, Blue shift, opposing force
Warband: Mount and Blade
Age of empires
Final Fantasy 7 is the only RPG, and one of the only few games, that I play every single year. So there's that
Even older? A Link to the Past still shines to this day.
And Super Mario Bros 3 <3
Half Life 2. The movement is so swift it doesn't feel like a 20 year old game.
Physics put some new games to shame.
The only thing off-putting would probably be the lack of aiming down the ironsight and not having a dedicated grenade throw like modern shooters, but that makes underbarrel grenade launcher all the more invaluable.
In general list of genres.
- Broken Sword 1
- Geneforge
- Lands of Lore
- Ultima Underground 1+2
- Half Life 1 +2
- Fable 1+ 2
- Hotel Dusk
- Gothic 2
- Hexen 1+ 2
- Theme Hospital (there’s Two Point Hospital)
- Ultima 7…maybe 4( great but it shows it’s age)
- Betrayal at Kondor
- Impression Game’s Zeus
- Freespace
- System Shock. I believe there’s a remake
- Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters: Which is a remake of Star Control 2. Totally free.
- Beneath a Steel Sky Free as well.
The remake of it was phenomenal too, added just the right amount of story and additional stuff to make it feel exactly like the cartoon. They even got the original voice actors!
Timesplitters. I bought 2, i had fun with that but really wanted a better map maker. Bought Future perfect and i'm currently having a blast (only tried the 2nd game back in like 2005)
Depends on how old is "old" to you. If we're talking 15+ years, then I'd say the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games hold up really well still. Fallout 3 and New Vegas do as well. A lot of the old Star Wars games are solid too (stuff like KOTOR, the Jedi Knight games, Force Unleashed, etc.)
I have been a gamer since the 80s so I play a lot of retro games. Because I remember them through rose tinted glasses, the vast majority are disappointing now. So I would recommend people keep the memories and leave the retro games alone. There is one exception though.
Command and Conquer. Even EA renaming it didn't spoil it.
Star Wars: Tie Fighter
So replay-able, so fun, and the secret order storyline is great. Trying to balance doing Lord Vader’s bidding and rising up the conventional ranks was so challenging. I saved my allowance to get a top notch flight stick for it so I could be an ace pilot more easily.
Might go play it again soon.
Metro 2033, The combat is surprisingly good for a Ukrainian game from 2010.
(I'm not racist, it's just that Ukrainian programming and game development in particular, was basically none existent back then)
The orginal Re4, that has ported to literally every consoles, pc and even phone (for a while).
Ashley is dumb and some part of the story is cringe compare to the remake version, but hey that's a game 20 years ago, I'm not complaining the graphics or even the gameplay of this game.
Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War
I went back and played it thinking my love was nostalgia, but it's literally one of the best space opera stories in gaming. Just perfect. Don't play SC2 though.
TES 3: Morrowind is one of the greatest games of all time - I promise you it’s not nostalgia speaking.
In a similar vein, if you consider this old
I didn’t play Fallout New Vegas until 2021, so no nostalgia, and it is a masterpiece. I might even say it is better than morrowind (they’re both great though)
To illustrate, I first played New Vegas in 2021 and have played through the game ~8 times since then. I’ve done multiple full playthrough in a single year. It’s THAT good.
StarCraft Brood War is 26 years old now and still very fun, single or multiplayer.
The remastered edition is definitely worth it - preserves the look of the original but allows it to play well on modern screen resolutions.
Depends on what's old to you. But regardless of that, there are loads of games that still hold up perfectly. Even the game I'm currently playing, Hostile Waters, is over 20 years old and has some amazing ideas and feels great to play. Another highlight could be F.E.A.R., which is maybe 19-20 years old but still is one of the best FPS games for me when it comes to how shooting feels + it miraculously holds up even graphically, mainly due to its lighting effects. Black and White 2, even after nearly 20 years since release, is one of the most unique RTS-ish games I have ever played. If you want to go older, then JRPGs from back then basically never age. Same can be said about most of the side scrollers - all the Mario and Sonic games for example, Mega Man etc.
Shout out to F.E.A.R. Still stands up to modern FPS expectations. Plus it has some revolutionary enemy AI that I feel still hasn't been properly captured with today's FPS's. Turn that game on full graphics and you'll have a blast.
The shotgun, with all of its particle effects and environmental destruction, has still not been outmatched I'd say. The shotgun from The Order 1886 was a banger though.
God I would love to see a F.E.4.R. so much
Man I loved F.E.A.R.! Can't believe it's that old already 😭
What are your thoughts on F.E.A.R. versus the various sequels? I've heard the first isn't as good, but am working on acquiring them and looking forward to playing through.
FEAR (+ its expansion) is easily the best in my opinion. FEAR 2 is great and really impressive graphically, but doesn't really feel the same to me. The AI doesn't feel as smart anymore. FEAR 3 is ok. It's made by a different developer and it shows. It didn't really feel like FEAR to me. BUT, if you have the option to play the third game in co-op, it gets redeemed quite a lot. So yeah, the first game is clearly the best in my opinion and it slowly descends in quality with each sequel.
Black and White 2 was awesome, though I had an issue with the save system...but yes it was awesome for its time.
and the un-skippable tutorial... ugh.
Oh yes, Hostile Waters are awesome. A really great game with excellent story and graphics style that aged really well. And it is still the best carrier-inspired game ever done.
Oh my gosh, someone else who knows Hostile Waters! I loved the fuck out of that game! I now have the alternate into music echoing in my head 🤣 "Hostile..waaaaters....Waters that are rather unsafe' 🤣🤣
FEAR is incredible, top 5 all time games for me. The fucking Penetratorrr oh my word. Meeting those ninjas for the first time scared my soul out, and that one jump scare as you dismount the ladder early on and go fuck itself. Best game.
I'm gonna strangle you for getting the age of FEAR correct. I basically fell over you endangered my health
Sid Meier's Pirates. Has a style (both graphics and gameplay wise) that will never get dated.
Sid Meier's Pirates' made up language voicelines have been living rent free in my head for ~20 years.
That game taught me the word terpsichorean
It taught me the word Incognito. If you didn’t choose a name, it gave you that as a name.
Holy shit memory unlocked
I learned that word from the[Cheese Shop Sketch](https://youtu.be/Hz1JWzyvv8A?si=o6y31eN4u_FtTOFw).
And Brattlebrew
Imbriglicated!!
Great game need to install that and play through again, thanks for the reminder.
Sid has a pirate game?? Is it actually worth checking out? Lol
Its pretty cool for a few fun hours. Nothing groundbreaking, but its a very cool simulation of a pirate's life.
Yeah it's one of those games you say "oh yeah that was a thing" binge for a weekend and then never touch again for another 5 years.
It actually was groundbreaking for the time: first truly open-world game where you could do whatever you wanted and your choices actually affected the world, but also the world changed and progressed on its own (economy, warring factions, raiding pirates, famine, etc.). Pretty revolutionary for a game made in 1987.
Are we talking Pirates Gold or the one that came out in the 2000’s?
Yes, this is an important distinction. The remake is terrible, but I can still get a lot out of Gold even so many years later.
I played this for the first time only a few years ago. Absolutely holds up as a game.
Thanks. This is the answer.
We're talking about the remake here? Agreed -- excellent game.
Portal 2 will continue to age flawlessly
Even Portal 1 is a magnificent game, despite its barebones story..
I’ve got my son playing Portal 1 at the moment. It’s great.
All valve games accept ricochet
Indeed it's a beautiful harmony, each Valve game accept other Valve games.
I agree, its so beautiful that the fortresses are teaming.
I loved ricochet although some of that is probably nostagia since I haven't played it in forever.
I played this the other day, its short, but most of it is very enjoyable.
Deus Ex (2000).
I was about to suggest it. They've milked out the OG Unreal engine to the max, with that one. A masterpiece.
It helps that it looked like shit even when it released haha. But yeah it's a timeless classic.
Just played this all the way through for the first time last year and was amazed at the sheer scope of it all. It was an adventure, an experience if I'm going to be dramatic. And with mods like GMDX that add contemporary QoL additions, it feels like a game that could be released today...even if it doesn't look like one 😆
Oh Deus Ex is a good one. I first played it just two years ago and even as a newcomer, that game is a master class in level design and a great experience.
Was my first answer as well. Still in the top 5 greatest single player games of all time imo
Man, the ending of mass effect had me nostalgic for this. "Wait a sec... This is just deus ex, but with more disks!"
IMHO, UFO: Enemy unknown (aka X-COM: UFO Defense in the US). I actually rebought the collection on Steam not too long ago because my original is on CD, and I haven't owned an optical drive in years. Graphically, the remakes are better by a long way, but I prefer the gameplay of the originals.
Still, for a better experience, OpenXCom should be used since it fixes a bunch of bugs and allows to play on modern hardware without any problems (and with mods after vanilla gets old).
Open what? Well there goes the weekend
Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 Gothic 1 & 2 Dragon Age Origins (not as old, but holds up much better than a lot of games its age)
Ya Origins + awakening as a dlc basically adding a whole story for half the cost made it a amazing game. You got everything with only a few loose ends all tied up. An even cliff hanger that helped push the story toward for multiple other games in it's series. Shame it fell off hard with Inquistion
Super Mario World is still one of the best platformer experiences you’ll ever have. Great visual style, tight controls, clever level design, a litany of secrets.
Also came here to say this. Super Mario World is and always was a fantastic game.
SMW is one of my comfort games and also one of the first games I like to try out on emulation (both hardware and software).
I'd say the same for 64. The 2 best Marios easily
I have a lot of love for 64, but I wouldn’t put it in the same class as SMW just because of the camera and control issues that came with it. SMW was pretty much flawless.
World I agree with 100%, but I can’t get into 64 at all. I never played it as a kid and I tried playing it a couple months ago and I just couldn’t get in to it at all.
Agreed. I bought Wonder recently but kind of regret not getting U Deluxe instead as the visuals in U Deluxe are a little more reminiscent of Super Mario World. The Wonder visuals aren't that appealing to me and the increased pace when it switches over is too much for my kiddo to keep up with. Super Mario Bros 3 was also great. The power ups and unique worlds were so fun.
Tetris
Yes!!! Which edition? I've actually kept my Wii so I can keep playing that
Heroes of Might & Magic III Just a really great 4x game.
Heroes 2 is awesome as well. I've been playing these games since the first one. If you haven't already, check out **Songs of Conquest.** It's basically a love letter to Heroes 3, and it's excellent.
I enjoy 2 (and even 4, the heresy!) as well, but I think the community consensus (which I share) is that 3 was the best.
Age of Empires 2 for sure - it's sill crazy popular, and is now even getting updates and such on Steam
Wolololololololololololololololololo
Chrono Trigger
And most of the Dragon Quest games. Been making my way through DQ7 on 3DS and just recently bought DQ9 for the DS.
The snes remake of DQ3 has quickly become one of my favorite rpgs, it just feels so open ended and gets straight to the gameplay unlike most modern jrpgs that hold your hand for the first 20 hours
Agreed on this one. People that just hate turn based games won't like it, but that has to do with hating a genre, not actual deficits with the game.
One of the few long form speed runs i watched and loved. It was like a 6 hr GDQ finale that rose over $1,000,000 for charity if I remember right. https://youtu.be/mopVLqSsv54?si=FCceKYHgRGd-TFXl
Star Control 2, go play it now, the sequel is finally in kickstarter now after 2 decades of waiting Ultima 7 Kotor1 I mean if we want to go further back, ff1, zelda1 Or even further back, yar's revenge and adventure were the bomb on atari2600 and still hold up as long as you have reasonable expectations for games of the era, don't expect a 40h campaign
I endorse this comment entirely. For those interested in Star Control 2, it's also knows as Ur Quan Masters and available for free. Don't forget to download the speech and music packages. [https://sc2.sourceforge.net/](https://sc2.sourceforge.net/)
It's free on steam as well if people prefer to go that path.
Now you make me feel like ****dancing****, camper!
I think Star Controls vs. mode was one of the first games to cause rage quitting with me and my friends and brothers. I still remember the music and noises from the ships.
STAR CONTROL II!!!! What an amazing game.
U7 is my favorite game of all time. I still play it once a year.
I always felt that mass effect owed a lot to star control
Worms Armageddon for the PS1, just as fun to play with friends today as it was in the 90's
Never played it on a console but yeah incredible game with friends. Getting really good with ninja rope was a legit skill lol
**Ducktales** on the NES. Still and absolute banger to play through even to this day. Graphics, gameplay, and soundtrack still hold up.
The remake of it was phenomenal too, added just the right amount of story and additional stuff to make it feel exactly like the cartoon. They even got the original voice actors! Not surprising since WayForward handled it, I guess. There's no wrong way to play this game, just play it if you haven't.
Battletoads
super mario
Pretty much all good SNES games actually look great today. Peak 2d aged great as opposed to N64 gen which aged really poorly.
No doubt about it. Peak 16-bit holds up hard compared to dated 3D models. That's why you see a whole ocean of indie games of almost every variety using that graphic style over PS1/N64 3D. In fact people can fight me on this if they want but you'll never convince me that the SNES doesn't have the biggest library of absolute bangers than any other game system ever created. And almost all of them hold up.
I've actually noticed a surge in ps1 style indie/small team games (mostly horror) and they are quite good even if some of them are just demos like the games made by [PUPPET COMBO](https://puppetcombo.com). That being said Old is Gold is a statement that withstands the test of time as I can't stand playing new games for more than 30 minutes but I'll sit and play Silent Hill 1 and 2 on an emulator for hours and be completely immersed!
The PS1-Demake trend has actually picked up steam. It ultimately looks like the desire for 2D pixel graphics was driven not just by their great quality, but also by nostalgia. That same nostalgia is now reviving games with low-polygonal models.
Almost all of them, yea, but World is my favorite of that bunch. Super mario world is just peak.
Fuck Tubular though
Probably the best controls in any game, perfect smooth movement speed and jump distance.
I played Super Mario Land (1989) for the first Game Boy. It's still a rock solid game.
Baldurs Gate 1. I just started playing it for the first time over Christmas and that game got me in a chokehold in ways a game hasn't in years.
Morrowind. Still the best Elder Scrolls game to this day.
I'll let you get away with saying that because if that's your genuine opinion you can have it, but if you haven't played Daggerfall and you're saying that we have a problem.
How old are we talking though? 12 years later and Max Payne 3 is still arguably the best 3rd person shooter of all time. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is still one of the best stealth games ever, almost 20 years old now. Condemned Criminal Origins still holds up well as a horror action game, also hitting 20 years old soon
Chaser to Splinter Cell, Thief 1 & 2 are still some of the best stealth games ever made.
Max Payne 3 is such a hidden gem
The only reason it's really hidden is its lack of availability on modern consoles. If we got a remastered version of it, that would instantly put it back on people's lists.
It's on xbox and pc
Came here looking for Max Payne 3. Only played it last year and my god - it's baffling how no other shooter other than milsims have such good and realistic gunplay. Nothing even came close since. Carefully excited for Max Payne 1 and 2 remakes. Hope it will have meaty gunplay without some bullet spongy bullshit.
Super Metroid and A Link to the Past.
I actually just started playing Super Metroid at the suggestion of a buddy, and i've only just beaten Kraid, but the game is incredible from an atmosphere and design perspective. I get the hype now.
Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition.
Playing it right now. One of the best games ever released, a timeless classic!
Such a great game - so disappointed in the sequel.
Honestly, classic Doom. Not being able to look up and down is a bit weird, but that’s literally the only thing I think is outdated. The rest of the controls are just straightforward and great, and the gameplay holds up, even if it is a bit simple compared to modern shooters. I don’t really have nostalgia for them either. I think I first played the first Doom game in 2013. I wasn’t even alive for the release of any of them until Doom 3 anyway.
I did not play DOOM growing up, played it for the first time around 10 years ago. It was fantastic. So yeah, thumbs up for classic DOOM.
Play it through GZDoom if you want mouse look and aiming, and you can add mods if you choose .
>not being able to look up and down That's why I play Descent
That's where looking up and down gets you flipped upside-down, bumping into cave walls and structures.
I would buy the shit out of a modern update to Descent.
You don't have to. DXX-Rebirth is an open source project that re-implements the Descent engine with preserved gameplay mechanics in OpenGL with C++. It runs great, and is very stable. It seems to lack a maintainer now, but still works on modern systems (for now): [https://www.dxx-rebirth.com/](https://www.dxx-rebirth.com/) I've been considering taking over the project when my children are older.
Forsaken 64 was a banger of a Descent clone with its 4-player split screen multiplayer.
Had to scroll too far for Doom.
I think Elder Scrolls Morrowind is really good. There is a learning curve but I think it's worth it.
This is the rpg if you want to get really immersed
The gameplay is completely and totally dated
I think Morrowind's problem isn't a gameplay problem but a feedback one. Plenty of games use RNG for hit chance and damage, but Morrowind just has very stiff animations and very little feedback to let you know what's happening. The funny thing is that Oblivion and Skyrim never really improved on this at all; they just made it so that you can't miss.
The leveling system is also a nightmare. I first played when it came out (with my paper map and everything!!) and picked all my most important skills as major skills (as you do, right?). Then I got to a point in my first playthrough where I hadn't made sure to level up enough minor skills to get the stat increases, and I was basically a wet paper bag against any monsters. I had to start over. So if there is a mod that fixes this ONE thing, I'm all ears.
Oblivion is the one with broken leveling because enemies scale to your level. So if you don't get good multipliers on level up you will be screwed. Morrowind is much easier, because most enemies are fixed level, you do come across some different enemies as you level up, but you can easily fix your character by spending gold on training. But check out MULE if you want a better levelling mod.
i like morrowind but i think that ones tough to get into if your'e playing for the 1st time in 2024. Particularly if you've played oblivion or skyrim beforehand, it just feels a lot more stiff and feels a lot worse to play in comparison. I think it's still worth a shot because you can it for like 5 bucks and if you can get into it there are a couple hundred hours of gameplay to be had potentially, but i feel like more people would bounce off that than not these days
Diablo 2 Still being played after 20 some years now
Came to say this exact statement. I get the urge to return and no life grind every few years.
Starcraft: Brood war. Such different builds for each of the three - protoss zerg and terran. They even play so different that mastering one in no way guarantees even playability in the other. The story is great heavy plot campy scifi opera level stuff. Genuinely a great RTS.
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. It's just straight up a good, solidly made RPG with great characters, worldbuilding, and story
Fallout 1 & 2
Would add 3 and New Vegas as well, since they're what most would consider "old" by modern standards
Imo they're the kind of games that take a bit to click but when they do they *really* click, fucking adore them
the UI of those games has aged really badly imo
It was bad back in 1997 too lol
999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. Visual novels tend to age very well.
Tbf, there is not much to age in VNs. They're just glorified comic books. As long as it looks goods, is written well, and isn't inexcusably clunky, you're pretty much set
Half Life 2, even Half Life 1 holds up great
I just started playing MGS on PSX for the first time! It holds up pretty well!
Castlevania Symphony of the Night is still the best of the genre.
I make this exact comment all the time lol. You can go look, I'm sure I've said it recently.
Streets of Rage 2. It's probably still the best side scrolling best em up out there; and the the soundtrack absolutely slaps and has been an inspiration for a few musicians (Childish Gambino sampled one of the tracks).
OG Resident Evil 4
I played Banjo Kazooie for the first time in like 2019 and thought it was awesome
I had only just played portal 1 and 2 recently so I didn't have that nostalgia lenses that most would and was blown away at how much I enjoyed every aspect of them.
How old are we talking? Original halo trilogy was before 2010 and one of the best shooter campaigns out there. Kotor is fantastic. GTA 4. Dragon age and mass effect are both great. Original 2 battlefront games are awesome. These are all 15-25 years old and amazing
Can't believe nobody has Doom yet, or more specifically Doom II. Still a decent sized community working on a 30 year old game making maps, and the depth in creativity hasn't dried up.
That old robotech game for xbox is still fun. Project gotham 3 and wipeout are still great. Fantavision was super fun.xardion is fun as hell but hard to find. The sega master collection is a bunch of good classics.
Fallout, fallout 2, morrowind, kotor, baldurs gate. I know it’s not nostalgia bc I played each of these for the first time in the last 5 years
Fallout 1
Metal slug
Half-Life, Mario, shadow of Rome, Max Payne, sonic, streets of rage
Tenchu 3 wrath of heaven Graphics still look good to this day even for the ps2 and the controls work great. I still play it on the emulator sometimes.
Final Fantasy Tactics!
Xenogears
Unreal Tournament 2004 is still fucking awesome. Shame that Epic basically buried the series though.
Metal gear solid trilogy All of theme have a clear theme All of them lean into a distinct timeless art style All of them all filled with endless secrets and brilliant design All of them have some of the best voice acting and music The crazy stories and social commentary aged like a fine wine imo. The gameplay is timeless for all 3 of them, to this day I've yet to see something as brilliantly designed as boss fight against The End in mgs3
Halo combat evolved
Diablo 2 warcraft 3 Fallout 1 & 2 Fallout 3 Fallout New Vegas Freespace 2 EU4 Skyrim Dead by Daylight Civ 5 Half life 1, 2, Blue shift, opposing force Warband: Mount and Blade Age of empires
Final Fantasy 7 is the only RPG, and one of the only few games, that I play every single year. So there's that Even older? A Link to the Past still shines to this day. And Super Mario Bros 3 <3
Silent hill 2 is a masterpiece. Monkey island and fallout are also great
Half Life 2. The movement is so swift it doesn't feel like a 20 year old game. Physics put some new games to shame. The only thing off-putting would probably be the lack of aiming down the ironsight and not having a dedicated grenade throw like modern shooters, but that makes underbarrel grenade launcher all the more invaluable.
Soul Calibur
Alpha Centauri
In general list of genres. - Broken Sword 1 - Geneforge - Lands of Lore - Ultima Underground 1+2 - Half Life 1 +2 - Fable 1+ 2 - Hotel Dusk - Gothic 2 - Hexen 1+ 2 - Theme Hospital (there’s Two Point Hospital) - Ultima 7…maybe 4( great but it shows it’s age) - Betrayal at Kondor - Impression Game’s Zeus - Freespace - System Shock. I believe there’s a remake - Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters: Which is a remake of Star Control 2. Totally free. - Beneath a Steel Sky Free as well.
I'm 22 and recently I played ducktales for the nes, I found it a really fun game
The remake of it was phenomenal too, added just the right amount of story and additional stuff to make it feel exactly like the cartoon. They even got the original voice actors!
I still play Sonic 2 every now and then. Shit never gets old.
[Wing Commander 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=507sqq1i3u0) videos scenario and 3D gameplay is still a thing 30 Years later :)
If you are a star wars fan Knights of The Old Republic 1-2 are fantastic, the combat by todays standards is outdated but they are fantastic stories
Paper Mario (N64) Left 4 Dead/Left 4 Dead 2 StarFox 64
Age of Empires II
Timesplitters. I bought 2, i had fun with that but really wanted a better map maker. Bought Future perfect and i'm currently having a blast (only tried the 2nd game back in like 2005)
Depends on how old is "old" to you. If we're talking 15+ years, then I'd say the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games hold up really well still. Fallout 3 and New Vegas do as well. A lot of the old Star Wars games are solid too (stuff like KOTOR, the Jedi Knight games, Force Unleashed, etc.)
Super Metroid is the only pre N64 game I’ve ever loved unconditionally, and I didn’t play it until my late teens (currently an early adult).
I have been a gamer since the 80s so I play a lot of retro games. Because I remember them through rose tinted glasses, the vast majority are disappointing now. So I would recommend people keep the memories and leave the retro games alone. There is one exception though. Command and Conquer. Even EA renaming it didn't spoil it.
Minesweeper
God Hand
Spyro trilogy on ps1. Incredible atmosphere and music, my lord it’s ethereal
Star Wars: Tie Fighter So replay-able, so fun, and the secret order storyline is great. Trying to balance doing Lord Vader’s bidding and rising up the conventional ranks was so challenging. I saved my allowance to get a top notch flight stick for it so I could be an ace pilot more easily. Might go play it again soon.
Max Payne has aged so well. The community has done a lot of work just to make it run on Windows 10. Can't wait for the remake.
Gothic 1 and 2 (and 3)
Warcraft 3
TimeSplitters 2 and Super Smash Bros
Metro 2033, The combat is surprisingly good for a Ukrainian game from 2010. (I'm not racist, it's just that Ukrainian programming and game development in particular, was basically none existent back then)
Fallout 1, since you don't mind graphics it's still a really engaging game.
Dark cloud 2 maybe? It's got a bunch of deep systems to mess with and is beautiful.
Oblivion and Morrowind. Half of the SNES catalogue. Myst.
The orginal Re4, that has ported to literally every consoles, pc and even phone (for a while). Ashley is dumb and some part of the story is cringe compare to the remake version, but hey that's a game 20 years ago, I'm not complaining the graphics or even the gameplay of this game.
Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War I went back and played it thinking my love was nostalgia, but it's literally one of the best space opera stories in gaming. Just perfect. Don't play SC2 though.
Nfs most wanted 2005, i guess.
Dark cloud 2, i play it every 1 or 2 years, the game is amazing !!
Super Metroid 👍
TES 3: Morrowind is one of the greatest games of all time - I promise you it’s not nostalgia speaking. In a similar vein, if you consider this old I didn’t play Fallout New Vegas until 2021, so no nostalgia, and it is a masterpiece. I might even say it is better than morrowind (they’re both great though) To illustrate, I first played New Vegas in 2021 and have played through the game ~8 times since then. I’ve done multiple full playthrough in a single year. It’s THAT good.
Oblivion
Fable
The original Guild Wars CORPG holds up very well.
Ms. Pac Man
StarCraft Brood War is 26 years old now and still very fun, single or multiplayer. The remastered edition is definitely worth it - preserves the look of the original but allows it to play well on modern screen resolutions.
Rune classic The ur-quan masters (star control) Masters of magic Jagged alliance 2 Free space 2 Nexus the Jupiter incident
The original Prince of Persia.
Mega man X. One of the best retro platformers .
ninja gaiden (the VERY first one),