Games That Have Aged Well

Throwing out a new topic... Spurred by this 1Up article, I was curious to see what games I feel that future generations would be able to pick up and play from the olden days of gaming (say, Atari/arcades through N64/PSX/Saturn) and be able to adjust right in. It's a challenging topic, so I tried to avoid some obvious favorites (like beat em ups and hardcore platformers), and nothing recent as who know how much next gen will advance by? It might even make PS2 era games look worse! Who knows?

I'll choose 12 like the 1Up list.

12. ActRaiser

Beautiful, mindblowing, and gorgeous even now, ActRaiser will most likely continue to impress gamers even decades from it's initial SNES launch release. (Can you believe this was only a launch game?)

11. Donkey Kong Country series

Because let's face it, all three games have the same basic mechanics even if they have different levels of quality. People will still be able to jump into all 3 and enjoy them for what they are. Even if they might not like the third one quite as much.

10. Mega Man 2 and 3

While I could again list the series, the first game is not quite polished enough and the later games are merely more of the same (though they should be played), I have a feeling these two will continue to be used as examples for why the NES was such a great console, and that's because they still remain fun to this day.

9. Chrono Trigger

The "jRPG for people who don't like jRPGs" is still a classic to this day. It might have something to do with the bright and beautiful graphics and engaging story, but I would just assume that a classic always remains a classic. Just like a film.

8. Final Fantasy VI

Before Square became obsessed with being a movie house, FFVI was the game that showed off the potential for the genre with many great characters, battles, and memorable story moments.

7. Gunstar Heroes

High octane shoot em up action with a bit of beat em up for good measure. I busted this out with a few friends around last year and we had a blast (they had never even played it before) and even made it all the way to the end. Dynamic, and flashy, this game is and will always be a classic.

6. Mega Man X1 and X2

A bit more flashy than the old school series, but with a faster pace and more secrets, these games are the peak of action gaming and still remain great today. Later games are bit too convoluted to match up to these two, but are almost as great.

5. Super Metroid

The ONLY thing about this game that sucks is the wall jumping. Everything else is perfection. Anyone can still jump in and have a blast.

4. River City Ransom

Jump in and start wailing, buy stuff and get stronger. Die and just go back to the previous town. It's simple but has deceptive depth that will get most gamers stuck in it.

3. Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis Trilogy (1, 2, and 3K)

1 is missing a few of 2's enhancements, but is still perfectly playable today. All three complete games are some of the most absolute perfect platforming that can be had in gaming. Still highly regarded today.

2. The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past

The distillation of everything that makes Zelda great in one gorgeous 2D package that beginners can sink their teeth into and vets still find engaging years later, this set the template for the rest of the series and deservedly so. In fact, I think I'm going to play it in a bit...

1. 2D Super Mario (Super Mario Bros. 1 through Yoshi's Island)

Yes, Yoshi's Island can be disputed, but I will include it because there are points you play as Mario. There isn't a single 2D Mario game that someone can't jump into and have a blast, and that's because of Miyamoto's genius design decisions. One of the few games that newbies still find engaging even after their 30th death and vets still adore on their 30th playthrough, the 2D Mario games are constantly debated over their greatness, one thing that remains is that they're all instantly accessible and have aged masterfully. True masterpieces.