For me it’s Chrono Trigger. I always want to play it. I want to show it to my children. I hope it will be regarded as a masterpiece for generations to come.
Portal 1&2
Portal 2 is still beautiful 12 years after its release and puzzle games will be relevent even in 50 years.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
From the art to the music to the plot to the gameplay, it’s just iconic.
Was looking for this!
Super Mario World! It holds up remarkably well even by modern platformer standards. It feels great, looks great, and is a blast to explore.
I find myself beating that game again every couple of years.
I honestly feel a little disappointed that I scrolled this far and nobody mentioned Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (1999).
This is an RTS game, which is a dying genre. It’s also a 24 year old game, which after its release two more Age of Empires games have been released as well, and the game itself has been remastered recently. Yet people continue to play the original game to this day, the multiplayer scene and competitions are still active.
If that is not timeless I don’t know what is.
My partner recently got me started playing AoE II - it’s a beautiful game. I’ve never been a big RTS player, but I dig this one.
I still think it’s the best game of the series. It’s absolutely timeless.
Community consensus is that AoE 2’s mechanics are an improvement on its predecessor, but I personally have a weak spot for AoE 1: Rise of Rome expansion. Fewer things to manage, beautiful wonder structures, and cheap axe man hordes.
My dad and I used to play against each other over LAN. Hearing him shouting and cursing from the other room while I razed his city with scythe chariots is such a happy memory. Man, I miss him. To the dads here, play AoE with your kids.
Second this. Rise of rome, from that unforgettable title music, that start screen, wololo, everything about it tickles my pleasure centers. Have very fond memories of this game.
The remaster got so much praise. How big are the og vs. remastered scene? Kinda interested.
DooM (1993), but mostly because of the community. Constant new levels, mods, engine updates, total conversions. Even commercial games released on the engine. It just never stops.
This is the first Doom, right?
Any links to the community?
First off you’re gonna want to grab yourself a source port like GZDoom so you can run it on a modern PC with all the extra bells and whistles. Go grab the original DooM and DooM 2 off Steam for $10 each if you somehow don’t already have them. A lot of stuff still needs access to the original .wad files.
Then check out Doomworld, the Zdoom forums and modDB for a literal ton of extra content. I suggest checking out Brutal Doom, Rekkr, Ashes, Sonic Robo Blast and Hedon for examples of what the modernised engine can do.
Fair warning though; because the mod scene is so active, you may have to sift through a lot of cruft to find something that appeals.
Very interesting. Thanks.
While I do love the things people have done with GZDoom, I always find myself coming back to a more classic doom experience. Something like dsda-doom that tries to stick to rules of the originals is more my jam, and it has some nice quality of life features that don’t alter the core gameplay. There is just something about the basic and simple mechanics of base Doom II that is timeless.
If you are looking for quality WAD recommendations, there is a continually updated Doomworld Community Top WADs of All Time or you can check out the annual Cacowards that attempt to acknowledge the best new doom content created every year. Many of these wads dramatically outdo the originals in terms of map design. Eviternity—a favorite of mine—which comes in at #6 on that list actually had it’s creator scouted to do the maps for the boomer shooter Prodeus .
Also, even though I prefer the classic experience, my favorite weapon mod has to be Final Doomer. Brutal Doom always gets all the hype, but this one deserves a lot of love for the fact that it tried to add weapons to fit specific wads. It gave the wads it was made for so much more flavor, and, while definitely more powerful than vanilla weapons, it wasn’t to an absurd level like brutal doom.
For real. That game will never die.
A good level in that game goes harder than any current AAA fps I can think of. Probably the remakes get pretty close, and they blew everyone away because they were a massive improvement to the fps formula, but idk if I’d ever call the remakes “timeless”.
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Totally still works as a modern Zelda game. Especially since Nintendo hasn’t really changed the core mechanics since it’s release!
Looks pretty good for such an old game.
Half Life 2 still looks and plays fantastic even nearly decades later
Half life 1 also! May be the graphics are a bit dated, but for that is the Black Mesa verdion
Yeah, the graphics are surely dated, in my opinion it still looks nice, HL has a great art-style. The gameplay is still great, smooth and fun, even if it’s not like modern games with dozens of mechanics, this style of FPS isn’t outdated.
I never played the original one because the graphics are such a turn off. I’m considering buying the black mesa fan project though. Graphics are from the Source Engine (HL2 essentially) which are way a lot better, even if slightly outdated today.
I started playing Valve games with HL2, and didn’t play HL1 until the Black Mesa game came out. I highly recommend. It’s a fantastic game and the story made bolder choices than the new games. It really gives a sense of wonder in parts, especially on the back half of the story.
Heroes of Might and Magic III.
Something about 3 never clicked with me while I still play the second one all the time.
There’s a game called Heroes Hour on steam that is like the pixel version of an expanded HoMM3, the over world and town building and unit recruiting is all almost the same, but the fights are real-time auto-battler that you can pause to cast spells or give directions to units. Really scratches the itch left by HoMM3
It did for me at first then I got mad at it when I felt like all the battles were so unexpected and undefined. There’s no damage, health or dmg/sec listed its just hope your mobs are more mob than those mob
It does feel like the battles are very player dependant until you hit high enough amounts of mobs. Keeping you back line protected is super important. It also does a terrible job of understanding special abilities for mobs or towns. For example there are some mobs with the special ability “immortal” where about 30 sec after they die they will rez, and each time after the chance halves. Using them as a front line with strong ranged is very powerful and can win fights the game says are impossible. Another one is the Pyre faction building, Infernal Gate. It summons units into battle for you based on how much it’s upgraded with sulphur. With just a few upgrades it becomes a practically non stop stream of free units that refreshes ever fight. As long as you keep your real units alive it’s very difficult to lose a fight after a certain point with enough upgrades.
Oh I’m gonna check this out. I actually liked some of the newer homm games too but it was frustrating to play them because of all the bugs. The core gameplay of all of them is just so much fun for me though
If you’re going to buy HOMM3, get it from GOG. The steam version only has the base game, the GOG version has all the expansions. I’d also recommend downloading the HD Mod - it’s still being updated with new features. And there’s Horn of the Abyss - a fan-made expansion complete with new town types and some things that were started but never made it into the official expansions.
How does it compares with Might and Magic IV?
Heroes (of Might and Magic) is a turn-based strategy game. You start with a hero and a castle, and you objective is usually to take over all the castles on the map. The computer, or other players, will be trying to do the same.
One of the craziest things, is that the game is almost 25 years old, but through the “HD Mod” it’s still getting regular updates, and there’s still annual world championships.
Thanks, I used to play might and magic iv for hours. But everyone recommends III. Just wanted to know why.
Tetris. Straight original is so simple accessible and addictive. I really haven’t cared for much else they done with it since. It was perfection also out the gate.
Also, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. I can play it anytime, anyplace. The gameplay, music, graphics even today just feel so go for being 2D
For Tetris, Game boy version or is there a different console you feel is definitive ?
Gameboy Tetris is king.
I had it on original Nintendo. But the Gameboy version is almost the same (to my knowledge) just without the color pallet.
Also the story of Tetris and how it got lisenced is crazy. The new Tetris movie is a fun (albeit with Hollywood coat of paint) recount.
They made a film about Tetris, that’s bizarre.
Yes, yes they did. It’s actually a pretty fun watch.
It deals with the licensing fiasco that occurred when the game released.
Many companies saw the potential in the game’s popularity and so an all out bidding war/competition for rights occurred between Soviet Government, Bulletproof, Holobyte, Mirrorsoft and most notably Nintendo.
It’s probably an interesting story, it’s just funny what they bother making films about sometimes. Like that McDonald’s film.
Miney Crafty
Minecraft stands the test of time between generations. Between late millennials, most of Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Funny story; when I first heard about the game (2009 or 10, so before really anyone had heard of it) I thought the name was Mind Craft. Luckily I easily found the correct game and started playing. I think rails came out shortly after. The games come a long way. It’s barely recognizable now.
I really wish minecarts were given more love for their original uses, transportation and mining
Skyrim, actually. It’s quite dated by today’s standards, but just recently I started another playthrough on a whim and ended up playing 20h or so even though I’ve played the game a bunch of times for several hundreds of hours throughout the years already.
Will be interesting to see if TES6 will replace Skyrim as the sort of mainstream culturally relevant icon of gaming.
After all Morrowind and Oblivion were both massively popular cornerstones of gaming in their own right in their time, but Skyrim has definitely overtaken them as fas as mainstream recognition goes.
Oblivion was good, but even at the time of the release the graphics, especially faces, are potato. Skyrim is probably peak graphics at release, and still beautiful even now. Gameplay is a little dumbed down, but still enjoyable for both casual and hardcore gamers. Combine that with active modding scene and continuous support from Bethesda, Skyrim ages longer than any game has right to be.
It’d be cool if it did, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it did somewhere down the line.
My husband is currently trying Chrono Trigger for the first time, the music is catchy and the game is too, even though he’s currently stuck right now. We’re big video game fans sharing our passion with our little. We’ve been Mario Kart 8ing together, so fun!
I hope I will be able to do the same when I start a family :) best wishes to you guys
Have you ever played CT? If not, you should do that.
For me it’s Chrono Trigger.
I see what you did there.
I think Toy Story 2 for PSX holds pretty well as a platformer, graphics wise ofc not, I hope I’m not being blinded by the nostalgia.
Baba Is You. It could be 30 years old - or could have been produced in 20 years - but still would be the same and Great!
I have a few answers, but I agree that Chrono Trigger is one of those games you come back to again and again. I think there are many excellent games which wouldn’t qualify because they are too firmly rooted in their time, or perhaps don’t feel timeless due to the limitations of their interface, but here are a few titles that are not just my favorites but I also think compare boldly across systems, genres, and time. I may have got carried away :|
edit: formatting, I’mma Lemmy newb
Sega Master System
- Columns: the best iteration of this tetris-esque game series imo
- Choplifter: what a brutal, unforgiving game, and you feel so horrible when you crush people you’re trying to save
Sega Genesis
- Samurai Showdown (Genesis): A fighter oozing with personality, weapons, and a good balance of combos, strategy, and special moves that reward you just enough to want to learn that next move without feeling like you can just mash buttons
PC Engine / Turbografx 16
- Ninja Spirit (PC Engine): hard as hell, but also cool as hell
- Devil Crush: ultra-stylish, demonic pinball
- Blazing Lasers: OK, this one might be an easier title, but it’s so much fun to cause so much carnage, and the layered parallax backgrounds are lovely
NES
- Ninja Gaiden: I still haven’t beat it, but I can’t not keep trying
- Kirby’s Adventure: what a charming, vibrant world
SNES
- Super Street Fighter 2 series: gold standard fighter
- Earthbound / Mother 3: a unique, unusual, and psychedelic RPG
- Zombies Ate My Neighbors: wacky, stylish top-down mayhem with an excellent responsive control and fun music
- ActRasier: Interesting cross of management and platform game where you play a deity manifesting to take care of its people against monsters and famine alike
PSX
- Castlevania, Symphony of the Night: Beautiful gothic horror metroidvania-action-rpg with great music
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2: killer moves, combos, wipeouts, and soundtrack
PS2
- Guitaroo Man: Wacky superhero/superrockstar rhythm game supreme
- Katamari Damacy: obsessive, rainbow-splashed fun and mayhem
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: my favorite title in this series
Xbox
- Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2: Bioware RPG storytelling and environments at their finest
- Psychonauts: a stylish and funny masterpiece by Doublefine (except that fucking meat circus, ugggggh)
- Jet Set Radio Future: a vibrant, cell-shaded wonder in unmistakable sega style
- The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay: a surprisingly tight, atmospheric, and narratively compelling stealth game
PC
- Doom 1 and 2: well yea
- Minesweeper: man, I sill get sucked into this game
- Grim Fandango: a heartwarming and funny point-and-click noir adventure about death and a life worth living, beautifully styled after Mexican day-of-the-dead visuals and themes
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: you may think you know what a text adventure game is, but this game will expand your mind
- Minecraft: OK, there are a LOT of versions and updates to this game, and it has become so complex, but whether OG vanilla or latest edition, there is nothing like loading up a clean, new world to explore, survive, and shape in new and exciting ways####___
That’s a damn long list, but I see Grim Fandango in there and thus I must upvote!
Good job. Saved.
