We’re confident that our ranking of the best retro games we’ve included here remain worthy of your time and still hold up well today. Video games have come a long way since the early days of Computer Space and Pong in the Seventies and they’ve evolved in all sorts of directions and cover a wide range of genres. It’s an impossible task to narrow all those games down into a single defining list, but we've done our best. In fact, many of these game😼s are actually available to play on contemporary systems, whether as part of a compilation, an online service or in the form of a brand-new remaster, so we’ve also pointed out where these classics are available to buy.
And in case you’re wondering what we consider as the cutoff point for the best retro games? We’re including anything up to and including the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube. Some of the following games set new standards for others to follow, some of them were critically♒ acclaimed on their initial release, but all of them remain brilliant fun to play. So let’s get on with it.
The best retro games of all time
25. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Released on: PlayStation
Released in: 1997
Konami’s macabre masterpiece was spawned during an era when gamers were obsessed with cutting-edge 3D technology. Rather than bow to public pressure, director Toru Hagihara and the rest of his team (which included future Castlevania series lead, Koji Igarashi) doggedly pursued the same side-on formula that had served the series so well during its 8 and 16-bit days. The 🌜difference here was that rather than simply exploring linear levels the player (as Alucard) was dropped into a looming non-linear castle that held myriad secrets within its huge inverted walls. It proved such a success that many later handheld Castlevanias followed the same format and it helped popularise the term Metroidvania.
24. OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
Released on: PSP, PC, PS2, Xbox
Released in: 2006
We could have added countless great racing games to this list but Sumo Digital’s riotously colorful arcade racer is the one we keep returning to. Essentially a retooled update of OutRun 2 SP, which was itself an expansion for the 2003 smash hit OutRun 2, Sumo’s port is tremendous no matter what system you play it on. In addition to perfectly capturing the 30 stages from both games, Coast 2 Coast delivers its titular main mode which offers an insane amount of challenges that range from outrunning rival racers to drifting as stylishly as possible. It’s not only one of the greatest arcade racers around, but also highlights how a game can evolve to overtake its equally prestigious progenitor. Come on Sega, bring it back for current consoles.
23. Shenmue
Released on: Dreamcast
Released in: 1999
While its sequel arguably offers more fighting, more arcade fun and more forklift truck driving, it’s the original Shenmue that initially highlighted the sheer raw power of Sega’s final console. After continually steering Sega through the tumultuous seas of the arcade industry, Yu Suzuki zeroed in on the Dreamcast to realise his ambitioღn for what would be (for its time at least) a game of stunning realism that felt a world away from the m🧸any arcade-themed games that had dominated Sega’s console. Its unique persistent world felt so extraordinary that a legion of fans fell in love with it, leading to the resurrection of the franchise two decades later.
Buy Shenmue 1/2 Remastered now for: PS4 / Xbox One
22. Elite
Released on: Various
Released in: 1984
Yes it’s crustier than a week-old slice of bread, but Elite still has the power to impress thanks to its satisfying combat, deep layers of strategy and the sheer scope of its gigantic universe. Coded by David Braben and Ian Bell and inspired by a whole host of media (from Battlestar Galactica to Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey) Elite offered an astonishing universe of possibilities as you guided your Cobra Mark III around a world that was constantly brimming with adventure. The Elite franchise lives on and B꧂rayburn remains at the helm, but there’s something about the original game’s procedurally generated worlds that make us still itch to explore them.
21. The Secret of Monkey Island
Originally released on: Various
Released in: 1990
Point-and-click adventures were a tremendously huge deal during the Eighties and Nineties and it was a genre where 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lucasfilm reigned supreme. Monkey Island remains perhaps the finest game in the company’s illustrious point-and-click canon due to its razor-sharp wit, utterly engaging characters and challenging puzzles. Designed by Ron Gilbert, David Grossman and Tim Schafer, the trio’s focus on slick one-liners, an authentic game world - partly inspired by Disney&rsܫquo;s Pirates Of The Caribbean ride - and a strong narrat๊ive has given the game a timeless quality that still makes it a joy to play today.
20. R-Type
Originally released on: Arcade
Released in: 1987
The shoot-’em-up genre is al🦄most as old as gaming itself and this particular gem first blasted off in 1987 and remains just as relevant today thanks to a contemporary release in the form of R-Type Dimensions EX. Irem’s shooter has everything you want from the genre including satisfying power-ups, challenging attack waves and some truly exceptional bosses which are as difficult to take down as they are ꦐfreakishly weird to look at. Sure it’s difficult but it’s never unfair, while its gigantic mothership on stage 3 has been copied by countless other games. A true timeless classic.
Buy it now digitally on iOS, Switch, PS4, Steam, and Xbox One
19. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Originally released on: PC, PS2, Xbox
Released in: 2002
Yes GTA 3 was first out of the gates and yes, San Andreas took the franchise in exciting new directions, but neither game is as cool as Vice City. The adventures of Tommy Vercetti’s rise to power may lean heavily on a glut of classic movies, but it also works thanks 𝓀to its entertaining mission structure, over-the-top violence and its complete and utter commitment to capturing the nostalgia of the Eighties, from the game’s neon-drenched cover to the heavily licensed soundtrack, which features everything from Kim Wild’s Kids In America to Toto’s Africa. And then of course there’s the excellent Hollywood voice cast featuring such heavyweights as Dennis Hopper, Burt Reynolds and Ray Liotta as the game’s lead.
18. Streets Of Rage 2
Originally released on: Mega Drive
Released in: 1992
If we were includi𒉰ng contemporary brawlers here Streets Of Rage 4 could well clinch the crown, but as we’re purely focusing on the good old days of gaming it’s Sega’s excellent sequel which walks away with the prize. Everything about Streets Of Rage 2 was bigger and better than its prequel, from the greatly enhanced visuals to Yuzo Koshiro’s thumping soundtrack (which occasionally cleverly riffs off his work in the original game) to its surprisingly deep combat mechanics. Two new fighters, Skate and Max were introduced, and joined regulars Blaze and Axel as they kicked and punched their way through the grimy streets in their pursuit of Mr X.
Play it now on Xbox One, Switch, PS4, and Steam via SEGA Mega Drive Classics
