10 Best Retro Games That You Should Know Update 04/2024

Best Retro Games

That our list of the best retro games we’ve chosen is still worth your time and does well today. When computer games like Computer Space and Pong first came out in the Seventies, they were very different from what we know today. They’ve changed in all kinds of ways and come in a wide range of genres now. It’s impossible to put all those games into one single list, but we’ve tried our best. It turns out that a lot of these games can be played on modern systems, either as part of a compilation or through an online service. We’ve also shown where these games can be bought.

In case you’re wondering, here’s a little something for you:

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Castlevania Symphony of the Night

People were obsessed with cutting-edge 3D technology back then, so Konami made a macabre game that people still love today. Director Toru Hagihara and the rest of his team, which included future Castlevania series lead Koji Igarashi, did not bow to public pressure and kept going with the same side-on formula that had worked so well for the series in its 8 and 16-bit days. There was a big difference here. Instead of just going through linear levels, the player (Alucard) was dropped into a huge non-linear castle that had a lot of secrets inside its huge inverted walls. It was so popular that many later handheld Castlevania games used the same format and the term Metroidvania came into use because of this game.

2. OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast

We could have added a lot of great racing games to this list, but Sumo Digital’s riotously colorful arcade racer is the one that we keep coming back to again and again. Sumo’s port of OutRun 2 SP, which was itself an expansion for the 2003 smash hit OutRun 2, is great no matter what system you play it on. In addition to perfectly capturing the 30 stages from both games, Coast 2 Coast has its own main mode called “Coast 2 Coast.” This mode has a ton of challenges that range from outrunning other racers to drifting as stylishly as possible. It’s not only one of the best arcade racers out there, but it also shows how a game can change and become better than its predecessor. On Sega: Bring it back, please

3. Shenmue

Shenmue

Shenmue’s sequel, on the other hand, has more fighting, more arcade fun, and more forklift truck driving. It was the original that first showed off the raw power of Sega’s last console. To make his dream come true, Yu Suzuki set his sights on Sega’s Dreamcast, which was still a new console at the time. He wanted to make what would be (for its time) one of the best-looking games ever made, and he wanted it to be different from the many arcade-themed games that had been popular on the console. It was so unique that a lot of people fell in love with it, which led to the revival of the franchise two decades later.

4. Elite

Yes, it’s more crusty than a loaf of bread that’s been out for a week, but Elite still has the power to impress thanks to its satisfying combat, deep strategy, and huge world. Developed by David Braben and Ian Bell, the game was based on everything from Battlestar Galactica to Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey. As you steered your Cobra Mark III around a world that was always full of new things to do, Elite offered an incredible range of possibilities. As long as Brayburn is in charge of Elite, we want to explore the procedurally generated worlds that made us want to play the first Elite game.

5. The Secret of Monkey Island

The Secret of Monkey Island

This type of game was very popular in the Eighties and Nineties. Lucasfilm was the best at this type of game, and it was a big thing at the time. Monkey Island is still one of the best point-and-click games in the company’s long history because of its sharp wit, interesting characters, and difficult puzzles. The game was made by Ron Gilbert, David Grossman, and Tim Schafer. The trio’s focus on slick one-liners, an authentic game world based on Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and a strong narrative has made the game timeless and still fun to play today.

6. R-Type

The shoot-’em-up genre is almost as old as gaming itself, and this game, R-Type Dimensions EX, was released in 1987. It still has the same appeal today because of a newer game called R-Type Dimensions EX. Irem’s shooter has all the things you want in a game like this, like satisfying power-ups, hard attack waves, and some truly unique bosses that are as hard to kill as they are weird to look at. Sure, it’s hard, but it’s never unfair, and its huge mothership on stage 3 has been used in a lot of other games. I think this is one of the best things that has ever happened in history.

7. Donkey Kong Country (1994)

Donkey Kong Country (1994)

Donkey Kong Country comes next. This list is already full of big names, and we’ve only played two games.

A lot of people already know that Mr. Miyamoto didn’t like Donkey Kong Country very much. In this game, the graphics were pre-rendered. He didn’t like them very much and didn’t care who found out about it.

That doesn’t mean that this isn’t a great SNES game. I think it’s one of the best retro games still around today.

This game sold more than a million copies during its life. It’s clear that the general public agrees with me and not Shigeru. DKC is a great game to play while we wait for the new Donkey Kong game to come out.

8. Gran Turismo (1997)

This is a list of the best retro games of all time, and Gran Turismo is number 18!

The PS1 had a lot of great racing games during its time, but Gran Turismo may have been the most important. It led to an epic series that still has a lot of fans today, and it set the stage for a formula that would be used by almost every game developer.

When the first GT games came out, they had a lot of great cars and a lot of great-looking tracks. They could be called the “grandfather” of all driving games.

Nothing was better than getting behind the wheel of a brand-name car and racing against your friends…

… The “real driving simulator,” after all, is what I think it is.

9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)

The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim (2011)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the 17th best retro game of all time. Because it’s so good, we still haven’t seen Elder Scrolls VI until 2021!

In truth, Skyrim hasn’t left my PS3 very often. As soon as I saw it, I fell in love with it because it’s like a much more brutal version of the Zelda games.

Well, it’s a lot like Breath of the Wild, but it came out six years before that. It looks like Bethesda was the one who was there first.

This open-world game is one of the best-made games on the PlayStation 3. In one of the best fantasy stories ever written, you fight dragons and cast spells as you explore ruins and huge mountain ranges with a sword in hand. This is one of the best stories ever written.

10. Final Fantasy IX (2000 – 2019)

On this list, I’m sure some of you were wondering when Final Fantasy IX would be on it. For one very good reason, this game has been rebooted and remade more than many of the other games in our list of games.

So it should have come as no surprise that it’s one of the best retro games of all time…

Do you see one of the best PS1 RPGs ever made by Sony? They say it’s the ninth official FF title. It has a storyline that would have made Tolkien very happy.

It is not the Titaness who became Mother Earth in Greek mythology that the gamers join. This is a fantasy world that is in the middle of a terrible war. It also has bandits.