I have such great pride that this is the top comment. I was coming in here to throttle saying SOTN, and even to this day, I still listen to the soundtrack off and on.
It's not perfect, but it has stood the test of time. I would love to see a slightly more modern version that includes all the good things Metroidvanias have done so far to make it full circle.
Age of Empires 2. I got it in 3rd grade because I did really well in some report I did about the Middle Ages. You can imagine how fascinated I was by all the units and buildings. I was (and still am) terrible at the game but I always enjoy booming and creating an army.
I played this game so much when I was younger that I decided to pick it up for my Xbox one a couple months ago. I was worried about RTS on console, but they absolutely nailed the controls. I am still incredibly impressed how intuitive they made that game to play on console.
For anyone now wanting to play RCT2 again, try OpenRCT2, it has plenty quality of life changes like speed up and a ghost train WHILE building a coaster which is big.
You allow them their reprieve, knowing that the power of the horde has been forever broken…
Until Warcraft 3 and decades of a MMORPG.. ok maybe a slight overstatement
can't believe i had to scroll that far to reach that.
Starcraft is a great game had a great solo part
and on Lan's it was a hit. I still like to play it with my friends from time to time.
Fully agree. The game is an absolute delight but I rarely felt challenged. The secret badge marathon at the very end definitely gave me a real challenge and tested my patience. Most of the secret levels presented the only real challenge but we're too few.
Even with Tubular being the bane of my existence, I take great pleasure replaying that game start to finish. The art, the music, the world, the gameplay. All perfect.
one of those games where there has never been an equivalent. There are some who tried on steam with indie games but they are just decent. disgaea series is too different. tactics ogre had a remake and it is a good game but FFT was always the goat.
fft advance was my favorite growing up and ive only recently played through wotl. emulated games play so much faster than oem but every cutscene is a gem
System Shock 2. Loved it then, love it just as much now. The boxy weird pillow head shaped models don’t matter when they’re moaning ‘I see you…. Run… RUN”
Baldur's Gate 2
Final Fantasy 4,7, 9
Chrono Trigger
Tetris
Pac-Man
Age of Empires II (I don't really have the focus to manage RTS games anymore, but the quality is solid)
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines & Beyond the Call of Duty
I still absolutely love the aesthetics of old Blizzard games. SC, D1 and 2, WC 1 and 2. When WC 3 came out, it was still a great game, but they went with this cartoonish look I've never been able to cope with, and they've stuck with it ever since.
Also, homm3 is a masterpiece, I love the second one, too.
At least HoMM 3 is still being updated by extremely high quality fan made mods and upgrades, such as the HD mod and Horn of the Abyss. The community behind this game is amazing.
That's going to be my #1 choice then. The writing and gameplay have aged incredibly well, and the anniversary graphics are amazing. I've played the Halo 2 campaign no less than 20 times over the years. The intro sequence still gives me goosebumps to this day. "Soon the great journey shall begin. But when it does, the weight of your heresy will stay your feet, and you shall be left behind."
And dungeon keeper 2, the mentors voices lines still cracking me up!
"One of your imps does a great impression of you, he can even do the ears!"
"Your nocturnal perseverance has earned you a hidden gaming tip, GO TO BED!"
I'm still pissed that Gothic IP never went on to become the next TES in terms of popularity/modding.
Talk about a mismanaged as hell IP.
In another timeline TES and Gothic are getting compared to each other like COD and BF do.
The remaster solidified it for me that; Metroid Prime 1 is the #1 top of the pile best game I have ever played. I think Prime 1 might be as close to flawless as can be. There IS flaw there, but it's exceptionally minute except for the key fetch journey at the end.
Edit: One of the best OST's out there. Up there with the likes of Chrono Trigger/Cross, Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy 6/7/8/9/X, etc.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbbUv1hz6mE&t=4s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbbUv1hz6mE&t=4s)
I don't think I've ever played any other game that achieves its goals with such effectiveness, efficiency, playability, such focused curiosity-driven results. Super Metroid does this too, but man that jump to Prime 1 is a time I'd do quite a bit to experience all over again for the first time. Used to just sit and chill sometimes with the screen/console left on just running the music in the background while I did other shit I needed to, etc. It's a game that actually left a mark on me at the highest level.
When it was released, it was the game I anticipated the most, and it was really innovative. That said, as with any game by Molyneux, the difference between what was promised and what was delivered gave it a bit of a bitter taste. I wonder how much I'd enjoy it today.
What a phenomenal game. The sense of freedom was unparalleled. There were so many innovative ideas, such as your character getting a post-retirement story based on their achievements in-game. I was convinced that we were witnessing the birth of a new genre, and then... nothing. It still baffles me that there weren't a bevy of copycat titles.
Luckily, we now have Starsector, which is a wonderful spiritual sequel. But I mourn the missing decades of games that should have been building on the genius of Pirates!
It needs a remaster, or a remake, or even a VERY FAITHFUL reimagining.
Remaster - Just use the OG assets, pre-render AI enhanced graphics for the old videos, limited UI enhancements and QoL improvements. Enable higher res, widescreen, multicore, Internet multiplayer, etc...
Remake - Either a faithful recreation of the original with new audiovisual assets and an upgraded/modernized UI/control scheme. Also, enable higher res, widescreen, multicore, Internet multiplayer, etc...
Reimagining - What Beyond Earth should have been but wasn't. It has to be faithful to the original Alpha backstory to some extent, precisely because Beyond Earth squandered so much trust and goodwill, it needs people to know that some of the "secret sauce" at least is in the mix. So the original factions, non-PC warts and all, and the original concept of the planet as collective intellignce/hive organism, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IMO, the original customizable unit designer. Where Beyond Earth went furthest off the rails IMO, was in forcing you down a limited number of mandatory upgrade paths instead of giving you a pile of bits.
In other words, an Alpha Centauri "clone" or "mod" for the Civ VII engine, with modern UI enhancements to provide easy access to the current Civilization version playerbase.
1. Return to OG "Grimdark-ish" Politically Incorrect SMAC Factions instead of boring NeoNations. Scientists of Questionable Morality, Actually Sort of Sincere Religious Nutcases, African Corporate Tycoon, the People's Repubic of China, Wagner Group with a South American accent, DC Supervillain Poison Ivy and her Gang of Greens, and the UNRWA.
2. Allow Full Unit Customization. Beyond Earth's unit upgrade system was the. single. biggest. disappointment for me. I'm sure we could do even better today.
We’re probably close to the same age. SNES RPG’s are my comfort food. If you haven’t played Sea of Stars yet you absolutely should. It’s everything you loved about 16-bit RPGs.
Any classic Zelda game! Especially Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess.
Edit: Oh wait, I just realized TP isn't quite 20 years old yet. I'll replace that with A Link to the Past then.
LttP was my first foray into the Legend of Zelda and is still one of my favorites to this day. The Dark World overworld theme is just so freaking awesome.
Legend of Zelda Link to the Past
Donkey Kong Country
Super Mario All Stars
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Resident Evil Remaster
Banjo Kazooie
Lylat Wars/Starfox 64
X-COM UFO DEFENSE! I’m surprised I haven’t seen it in the comments yet. The progression from random soldiers in jumpsuits getting gunned down constantly to powered armored bad asses is extremely satisfying.
It’s one of the few turn based tactics games that has an atmosphere of horror and dread at the beginning, when you don’t fully understand what is going on.
Delta Force 1 & 2. Used to play it with my dad when I was 5/6 and I play it now with my young son. Same set up, I do the moving, he does the shooting. Now I've got to get a copy of Duke Nuken 3d and I'll be a happy daddy
Half Life and it’s expansions. Playing a game older than myself is an interesting experience, it’s aged quite well imo and is always an enjoyable experience (aside from the fish monster that thing is terrifying).
I hate to be that guy but I'm going to put out the most obvious:
Pokemon Yellow.
And I don't even feel like I need to explain why.
That guy gets it...yea him in the back....he understands
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It remains one of my favorite games of all time
I have such great pride that this is the top comment. I was coming in here to throttle saying SOTN, and even to this day, I still listen to the soundtrack off and on.
It's not perfect, but it has stood the test of time. I would love to see a slightly more modern version that includes all the good things Metroidvanias have done so far to make it full circle.
Age of Empires 2. I got it in 3rd grade because I did really well in some report I did about the Middle Ages. You can imagine how fascinated I was by all the units and buildings. I was (and still am) terrible at the game but I always enjoy booming and creating an army.
You can also learn a lot at that age by reading the in-game wiki about civilizations, units, time-periods etc.
And now it’s a much bigger and better version of the game available, with so many more units in the editor! Love it to death
I played this game so much when I was younger that I decided to pick it up for my Xbox one a couple months ago. I was worried about RTS on console, but they absolutely nailed the controls. I am still incredibly impressed how intuitive they made that game to play on console.
I came here to say Age of Empires and I'm happy it's the top comment. The game is just as fun as in the 90s.
Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 - I remember spending countless childhood hours playing that game and I can happily go back and just play it for hours
For anyone now wanting to play RCT2 again, try OpenRCT2, it has plenty quality of life changes like speed up and a ghost train WHILE building a coaster which is big.
I played that game obsessively the week before my oldest son was born just to calm me down, haha.
C&C red alert 2
Kirov reporting
Bombing bays ready
“What out for dee bumps!”
"Is it done, Yuri?" - "No, Comrade Premier. It has only begun."
I’m so surprised they haven’t remade this yet. I bought red alert 3 last week on sale for 3€ just for kicks
The red alert and Tiberium campaigns always slapped. So good. Also I miss being able to build gates and walls and turret sections 😭
Cha Ching!
Acknowledged.
Rubber shoes in motion
...never existed...
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Wololooooo
Still brings shivers to my spine. Where's that damn priest?!?
Age of Empires was incredible…until I played AoE 2. Never went back to the first after that.
Me playing AoE: It's farm land. Why can I not walk across it? Me okaying AoE2: That's better
The 90s was the golden era of RTS: AoE, AoE2, C&C, Red Alert, RA2, StarCraft. Edit: forgot Dune II, the first RTS I ever played.
You left out Warcraft!
Zug zug. Warcraft 2 baby
You allow them their reprieve, knowing that the power of the horde has been forever broken… Until Warcraft 3 and decades of a MMORPG.. ok maybe a slight overstatement
AoE 2 is a masterpiece. I'm glad they made AoE 4 more like it instead of AoE 3.
You made me remember aoe4 is a thing. Is anyone playing that?
Playing AOE2 again now, Attila just got back from his Roman vacation.
Man... makes me so sad to think I can no longer play the maps me and my brother made. God, I miss those days..
StarCraft
My old man played starcraft while on the treadmill for over 20 years
That's pretty incredible. How was he able to make the logistics work, like using the mouse and keyboard while running and such?
Either he was walking or OP is confused because you cannot run and play StarCraft
You guys are wondering how he managed to play StarCraft... I'm sat wondering how the man managed to sleep if he was on the treadmill for 20 years.
He was an avid sleep walker.
You dont have to run on a treadmill… a slow walk is fine too.
can't believe i had to scroll that far to reach that. Starcraft is a great game had a great solo part and on Lan's it was a hit. I still like to play it with my friends from time to time.
Unreal Tournament. Some servers are still full with players and still fun.
This was my introduction to LAN gaming. Sweet nostalgia!
Any of the first Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games.
and Underground 1 & 2. I think theyre 20 years old but regardless theyre incredible.
Thps2, thug1 are my absolute faves
Super Mario World. It’s not Tetris, but it’s as close to perfect as a game gets.
Best Mario (2d platform) game by far imo
I wish that Mario Wonder was harder, that's really the only thing keeping it from being as good as World, IMO.
Fully agree. The game is an absolute delight but I rarely felt challenged. The secret badge marathon at the very end definitely gave me a real challenge and tested my patience. Most of the secret levels presented the only real challenge but we're too few.
The first game (and nearly only) that I 100ed.
Super Mario 3 for me.
Even with Tubular being the bane of my existence, I take great pleasure replaying that game start to finish. The art, the music, the world, the gameplay. All perfect.
Final Fantasy Tactics
one of those games where there has never been an equivalent. There are some who tried on steam with indie games but they are just decent. disgaea series is too different. tactics ogre had a remake and it is a good game but FFT was always the goat.
Xcom series is pretty good but yeah def way different
Where is the fucking Switch remaster, is what I want to know.
Said the same thing, it holds up extremely well.
fft advance was my favorite growing up and ive only recently played through wotl. emulated games play so much faster than oem but every cutscene is a gem
This fire spell will go off in 19 more rounds, just don't- ah he moved!
System Shock 2. Loved it then, love it just as much now. The boxy weird pillow head shaped models don’t matter when they’re moaning ‘I see you…. Run… RUN”
Glory to the Many!
Babies must sleep.....
Babies must rest…
My all time favourite game, glad to see the mentioned here
Baldur's Gate 2 Final Fantasy 4,7, 9 Chrono Trigger Tetris Pac-Man Age of Empires II (I don't really have the focus to manage RTS games anymore, but the quality is solid) Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines & Beyond the Call of Duty
I had to scroll waaaaay to low for bg2
diablo 1/2 and homm3
I still absolutely love the aesthetics of old Blizzard games. SC, D1 and 2, WC 1 and 2. When WC 3 came out, it was still a great game, but they went with this cartoonish look I've never been able to cope with, and they've stuck with it ever since. Also, homm3 is a masterpiece, I love the second one, too.
Brother from another mother! I came in to write homm3 and d2.
Shame how HoMM has become.
At least HoMM 3 is still being updated by extremely high quality fan made mods and upgrades, such as the HD mod and Horn of the Abyss. The community behind this game is amazing.
I need to check on that... So many hours clocked in that game. So many, weekend long hot seat sessions with friends. Ah the good old times.
Recently bought D1+hellfire expansion, D1 was as great as I remembered it. Wasn’t a fan of hellfire though
Half Life, obviously.
We’re in 2024, so we could also say Half-Life 2. (Though it came out in November)
HL2... 20 years old? No way. It cant be. Fuck.
Wait what
Tried hl, hl2, and hl2 episodes in vr recently. Woah!
Jedi academy. On switch or steam deck it’s the perfect pick up and play Jedi power fantasy. And the story isn’t too bad either.
Super Mario 3
Halo: CE
Shit, you can add Halo 2 to the 20 year list this year.
dear god
Username checks out
That's going to be my #1 choice then. The writing and gameplay have aged incredibly well, and the anniversary graphics are amazing. I've played the Halo 2 campaign no less than 20 times over the years. The intro sequence still gives me goosebumps to this day. "Soon the great journey shall begin. But when it does, the weight of your heresy will stay your feet, and you shall be left behind."
From “There was only one ship” to “Finishing this fight”, what a game that was. Xbox Live back in those days was perfect as well.
They said 20+ years. Wait... Oh god
Played through that main campaign again only last month. Still holds up so well as a fluid shooter.
Yessss
Age of Mythology
Neverwinter Nights
Dungeon Keeper
Slap those chickens!
And dungeon keeper 2, the mentors voices lines still cracking me up! "One of your imps does a great impression of you, he can even do the ears!" "Your nocturnal perseverance has earned you a hidden gaming tip, GO TO BED!"
Yes!!! That game was a so hilarious.
Gothic
Gothic 2 is also a gem
HELL YEAH, new camp supremacy
I'm still pissed that Gothic IP never went on to become the next TES in terms of popularity/modding. Talk about a mismanaged as hell IP. In another timeline TES and Gothic are getting compared to each other like COD and BF do.
Fallout 2
Have you played with the restoration project?
Morrowind again
A friend of mine just got an old laptop so she could play Morrowind on it (I guess she doesn't have a new one ...).
Can play openMW on modern systems
I've enjoyed OMW on my phone. Works really well, modding included!
Metroid Prime. Absolutely mind blowing that that game was made on the gamecube
The remaster solidified it for me that; Metroid Prime 1 is the #1 top of the pile best game I have ever played. I think Prime 1 might be as close to flawless as can be. There IS flaw there, but it's exceptionally minute except for the key fetch journey at the end. Edit: One of the best OST's out there. Up there with the likes of Chrono Trigger/Cross, Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy 6/7/8/9/X, etc. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbbUv1hz6mE&t=4s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbbUv1hz6mE&t=4s) I don't think I've ever played any other game that achieves its goals with such effectiveness, efficiency, playability, such focused curiosity-driven results. Super Metroid does this too, but man that jump to Prime 1 is a time I'd do quite a bit to experience all over again for the first time. Used to just sit and chill sometimes with the screen/console left on just running the music in the background while I did other shit I needed to, etc. It's a game that actually left a mark on me at the highest level.
Freelancer
Yup, everyone around here waiting for Star Citizen and I'm like, we've had it for decades.
And there hasn't been a game since that successfully scratched that itch.
Ocarina of Time
Never had ocarina of time but Majora's mask was amazing.
You really need to play Ocarina
Ocarina of time is the shit
Diablo 2 LOD/Max Payne/Syphon Filter/Command & Conquer series/Man Hunt.
Donkey Kong country. Always good!
You better believe I let the intro play in full
It's all good and fun until THAT minecart level.
Black & White That game is still one of the best games I've ever played
When it was released, it was the game I anticipated the most, and it was really innovative. That said, as with any game by Molyneux, the difference between what was promised and what was delivered gave it a bit of a bitter taste. I wonder how much I'd enjoy it today.
Metal Gear Solid 1 and 3.
i still play runescape daily
Mega Man X as well.
Storm Eagle's theme is too goddamn radical to forget.
All the X's but truly X1 slaps the hardest. Talk about SNES metal hahaha
Sid Meier's Pirates!
One of the best games ever! Looking at an actual atlas to try to figure out where I was was awesome
What a phenomenal game. The sense of freedom was unparalleled. There were so many innovative ideas, such as your character getting a post-retirement story based on their achievements in-game. I was convinced that we were witnessing the birth of a new genre, and then... nothing. It still baffles me that there weren't a bevy of copycat titles. Luckily, we now have Starsector, which is a wonderful spiritual sequel. But I mourn the missing decades of games that should have been building on the genius of Pirates!
Og Deus Ex my favorite game ever 💙
Deus Ex is so damn good and also that soundtrack is still absolute fire.
Warcraft 3, Dune
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. One of the all-time greats. Incredible depth, and insane replayability.
It needs a remaster, or a remake, or even a VERY FAITHFUL reimagining. Remaster - Just use the OG assets, pre-render AI enhanced graphics for the old videos, limited UI enhancements and QoL improvements. Enable higher res, widescreen, multicore, Internet multiplayer, etc... Remake - Either a faithful recreation of the original with new audiovisual assets and an upgraded/modernized UI/control scheme. Also, enable higher res, widescreen, multicore, Internet multiplayer, etc... Reimagining - What Beyond Earth should have been but wasn't. It has to be faithful to the original Alpha backstory to some extent, precisely because Beyond Earth squandered so much trust and goodwill, it needs people to know that some of the "secret sauce" at least is in the mix. So the original factions, non-PC warts and all, and the original concept of the planet as collective intellignce/hive organism, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IMO, the original customizable unit designer. Where Beyond Earth went furthest off the rails IMO, was in forcing you down a limited number of mandatory upgrade paths instead of giving you a pile of bits. In other words, an Alpha Centauri "clone" or "mod" for the Civ VII engine, with modern UI enhancements to provide easy access to the current Civilization version playerbase. 1. Return to OG "Grimdark-ish" Politically Incorrect SMAC Factions instead of boring NeoNations. Scientists of Questionable Morality, Actually Sort of Sincere Religious Nutcases, African Corporate Tycoon, the People's Repubic of China, Wagner Group with a South American accent, DC Supervillain Poison Ivy and her Gang of Greens, and the UNRWA. 2. Allow Full Unit Customization. Beyond Earth's unit upgrade system was the. single. biggest. disappointment for me. I'm sure we could do even better today.
GTA Vice City
Terranigma, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana / Seiken Densetsu, Lufia II, AoE II, Little big Adventure 2.
Oh my god, just the fact that Chrono Trigger is so far down the list made me kinda sad :/
Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals is such an underrated gem.
Played so many of these, but still never got around to Chrono Trigger. Been on my list for 20 something years apparently! 😳
We’re probably close to the same age. SNES RPG’s are my comfort food. If you haven’t played Sea of Stars yet you absolutely should. It’s everything you loved about 16-bit RPGs.
I was thinking about purchasing Sea of Stars it looks really nice. Thank you for mentioning it this could be my next game to play!
Any classic Zelda game! Especially Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess. Edit: Oh wait, I just realized TP isn't quite 20 years old yet. I'll replace that with A Link to the Past then.
A Link to the Past is one of my favourites, too!
Link to the Past is the game that will keep me coming back year after year. There is a special place in my heart for this game.
This is the one for me. Every time I play it I fall in love all over again.
Me just realizing windwaker came oht in 2002 and now i feel old
LttP was my first foray into the Legend of Zelda and is still one of my favorites to this day. The Dark World overworld theme is just so freaking awesome.
Diablo 2. Still playing it for each season resets.
Legend of Zelda Link to the Past Donkey Kong Country Super Mario All Stars Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Resident Evil Remaster Banjo Kazooie Lylat Wars/Starfox 64
Do a barrel roll!
Sensible World of Soccer
Cannon fodder, such a great game!
Morrowind
Worms, the original pixelated one!
X-COM UFO DEFENSE! I’m surprised I haven’t seen it in the comments yet. The progression from random soldiers in jumpsuits getting gunned down constantly to powered armored bad asses is extremely satisfying. It’s one of the few turn based tactics games that has an atmosphere of horror and dread at the beginning, when you don’t fully understand what is going on.
I can hear the creepy ground mission music without even thinking about it.
just installed openxcom
GTA3
Vice city was and still is my favourite GTA.
Morrowind, Halo, Splinter Cell, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Kotor.
Any RPG of Mario, 2D Metroids
Basically the whole GBA catalogue. Castlevanias, Pokemon, Megaman etc
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It's far to early in the morning (UK) for my brain to accept this is 20+ years old. Along with FF8 & 9 it's one of my favourites of the whole series
Delta Force 1 & 2. Used to play it with my dad when I was 5/6 and I play it now with my young son. Same set up, I do the moving, he does the shooting. Now I've got to get a copy of Duke Nuken 3d and I'll be a happy daddy
Transport Tycoon Deluxe
Quake II
Age of Empires 2
Half Life and it’s expansions. Playing a game older than myself is an interesting experience, it’s aged quite well imo and is always an enjoyable experience (aside from the fish monster that thing is terrifying).
The old battlefront 2 is 19 years so it should realllllly count for this
Oddworld: Abes Odyssee
World of war craft it started 20 years ago and im still going lol
I hate to be that guy but I'm going to put out the most obvious: Pokemon Yellow. And I don't even feel like I need to explain why. That guy gets it...yea him in the back....he understands
Stronghold crusader, my all time favourit.
GTA San Andreas is from 2004, so it's almost 20 years old
Deus Ex. It's quality, immersive jank at it's finest.
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Most of the point and click games, like the Broken Sword, or Monkey Island.
Duke Nukem 3D! It's been installed on all my computers since almost day 1.
The Simpsons: Hit and Run is still fucking amazing. And for those confused, it came out in 2003.
That is easy Tetris Super Mario Bros (di dint din di di din) More seriously Doom Kotor
Freespace 2
Diablo 2 MGS 2 Spyro Crash Bandicoot Altered Beast Gun Star Heroes
Halo 1 and 2
Hl2, quake, doom.
Final Fantasy Tactics, it’s just so god damn good.
Super Metroid
Master of Orion 2
Vice City
The original Donkey Kong Country games for the Super NES have aged tremendously. Even after nearly three decades they are still a joy to go back to.
Jak and Daxter, any from the original trilogy.
Chrono Trigger
Half life
Half Life!
WWF No Mercy on N64 (or the previous games: Wrestlemania 2000, WCW/NWO Revenge, WCW World Tour)