Gaming is in its zenith right now, with a dizzying array of interactive experiences to suit every preference. Even still, it’s difficult not to long for the more carefree arcade period from time to time, when the best retro games—those fantastic 8-bit and 16-bit games—made us into the healthy, sleep-shirking addicts we are now.
Here are the top vintage games that we still adore, without further ado. To the extent possible, we’ve included links so you can play these vintage jewels on the current gear. Vote for your favorite old-school games and add any others you believe belong in this hall of fame using the suggestion box at the bottom.
1. Super Mario Bros. 3: Nintendo, who essentially created the platform game, reimagined it with the secret-filled Super Mario Bros. 3 and did it again with Super Mario World. It’s quite difficult to choose between the two greatest side-scrolling games of all time. Super Mario Bros. 3’s expansive goals or Super Mario World’s creation? Yoshi or The Frog Suit? The Cape Feather or the Super Leaf? We chose SMB3, yet there is nothing in it because it is so near to gaming perfection.
2. The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past: Link’s epic quest reignited the excitement of the unknown, which Super Metroid had taught us to fear. It’s a joy to explore, a top-down Hyrule packed with secrets and surprises. Not least once you understand how the worlds of light and darkness fit together. Here, you’re encouraged to go gloriously, hopelessly lost—and you’ll have a great time doing it, unlike these days when you receive a nudge if you wander too far.
3. Tetris: It’s odd to think that a game centring on finding the best way to successfully arrange a group of colored blocks should have been at its best when played on a machine that was incapable of displaying more than four shades of greenish-grey. But, regardless, the Game Boy version of Alexei Pajitnov’s opus was simply the perfect match between game and hardware.
Source: Shortlist
