5 Old Video Games That Have Stood the Test of Time
Did you know that 227 million Americans say they play video games? It’s easy to see why. Video games are an excellent way for people to blow off steam and escape reality for a few hours.
And these new video games have come a long way since America had a case of Pac-Man Fever in the early 80s. The incredible graphics and detailed gameplay make today’s games more realistic. But what old video games are still fun to play?
Read about the top five classic video games worthy of your time.
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Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990)
Mario can fly!
The Nintendo Entertainment System took the world by storm in the mid-to-late 1980s, with Super Mario leading the way. The original Nintendo system gave American children many joyful Christmas mornings, but Super Mario Bros. 3 revolutionized video games.
Its 1990 release was also the most anticipated in gaming history.
The game features challenging pacing. Players must alternate between challenging fast and slow movements. And the developers start the game off quickly for new players, sucking novice game players in with a few manageable levels.
Super Mario Bros. 3 also introduced new powers. The Raccoon Suit gives Mario flying controls, while the Frog Suit increases Mario’s swimming ability. The suits and powers offer the player gameplay variety not seen before.
Incredibly detailed, the game’s hidden levels and features are still discovered by super fans over 30 years later.
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NHL 94 (1993)
NHL 94 is a Mount Rushmore sports video game. Its release launched EA Sports as the premier sports video game company. It’s so well-loved that an NHL 94 cartridge has a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
It was the first of its kind, a video game collaboration between the NHL and the NHLPA. But what sets the game apart, and why is it so beloved?
First, the smooth graphics and simple gameplay captivated players at all levels. It was also the first game to feature official team names and real player names. You could play with the Los Angeles Kings and Wayne Gretzky or the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mario Lemieux.
What made the game truly special were the details.
The game’s revolutionary features also include realistic organ music. The famous “Brass Bonanza” plays when you score a goal playing a home game as the Hartford Whalers.
Players can also break the glass with a hard body check or slap shot. And when a player scores a hat trick, hats thrown from the crowd litter the ice.
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Pac-Man (1980)
Pac-Man is the originator of the American video game craze. Released in 1980 by Namco as an arcade game, Pac-Man captured the American imagination.
It’s a maze chase game that appears simple, but looks are deceiving. The original Pac-Man game remains a challenge for expert gamers.
What made Pac-Man so important were its features. Pac-Man was the first game to feature power-ups and a central game character. Without Pac-Man, there would be no Mario or Zelda.
Pac-Man, the character, was also the first video game to break through popular culture. While Asteroids and Space Invaders were famous forerunners, Pac-Man spawned a hit song and a cartoon.
The game’s popularity remains strong, as the Pac-Man app on Google Play and App Store surpassed 130 million downloads in 2019.
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Tomb Raider (1996)
Sony’s Playstation One is the dividing line in the modern era of gaming. No game represents the beginning of the modern era like Tomb Raider.
Lara Croft, a gun-toting explorer, digging through ancient tombs, sparked the imagination of gamers like Mario and Pac-Man before.
The game featured outstanding graphics and a storyline so coherent game players felt like they were playing in a movie. Secret puzzles and challenging bosses dominate gameplay and engross players in Lara Croft’s world.
Tomb Raider was the first, but far from the last. This game launched a media empire with multiple game sequels and a movie series starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft.
Tomb Raider’s enduring popularity among gamers, its stellar graphics, and its soundtrack make it one of the most important video games of the modern era.
You can find Tomb Raider and other classic PS1 games at theoldschoolgamevault.com.
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Doom (1993)
Doom was initially an IBM-computer compatible first-person shooter game. It’s also the first first-person shooter game to gain prominence, revolutionizing the genre.
The first Doom game featured eight different weapons, a revolutionary feature, and introduced 3-D graphics to PC gamers.
In the game, players assume the role of a space marine dubbed “Doomguy” by game fans. Players battle the forces of Hell, demons, and spirits on space bases and Mars.
As the first popular FSP, Doom reached incredible levels of popularity. In the mid-90s, estimates maintained that Doom was downloaded on more computers worldwide than the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system.
The original game also saw release on the Sega 32X, Atari Jaguar, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
And the legacy of Doom exists in modern video games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Honorable Mentions
These five games are essential for the development of modern video games. They each represent a now popular genre and revolutionary features that moved the industry forward. They are not the only great games.
Here are more games worthy of the list of classic video games:
- Space Invaders (1978)
- The Legend of Zelda (1986)
- Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! (1987)
- Techmo Bowl (1987)
- John Madden Football (1990)
- Mortal Kombat (1992)
- Grand Theft Auto (1997)
These games all represent a different genre. They also show the massive evolution of video gameplay within the first 20 years.
Old Video Games Are About More Than Nostalgia
Old video games are a great way to relive your childhood. But nostalgia isn’t why these games stand the test of time.
All five of these video games changed the industry, and they remain a challenge for gamers of all levels. If you love today’s video games, travel back in time and explore these games.
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