There’s no shortage of games to play. Indeed, it’s estimated that around 10,000 new titles are released each year, which is another way of saying that when you want a new game to play, you won’t have to look very far.
However, while it’s always nice to play the latest releases, it’s worth keeping in mind that there are plenty of titles from yesteryear that are worth revisiting, too. Many games disappear from our collective minds within months of release, but some stand the test of time. In this post, we’ll run through some classic games that are worth playing due to their historical significance (and their fun factor!). And the best part? Many of these games are available online.
Street Fighter
The original Street Fighter is 35 years old and still packs a powerful punch. The game’s graphics aren’t up to the standards of modern times, of course, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not hugely enjoyable to play. It was a groundbreaking game upon release, and even now you can see how influential it has been. You’ll travel around the world combating a range of colorful characters before finally meeting the big boss.
It seems simple to play at first (just hitting random buttons seems to work sometimes) but it’s best to spend some time really learning the moves — it’ll make your journey to the top much more straightforward.
Goldeneye
Speak to people of a certain age about what was the best game of their youth, and they’ll invariably say Goldeneye. This game was a game changer when it was released on the
There’s no shortage of games to play. Indeed, it’s estimated that around 10,000 new titles are released each year, which is another way of saying that when you want a new game to play, you won’t have to look very far.
However, while it’s always nice to play the latest releases, it’s worth keeping in mind that there are plenty of titles from yesteryear that are worth revisiting, too. Many games disappear from our collective minds within months of release, but some stand the test of time. In this post, we’ll run through some classic games that are worth playing due to their historical significance (and their fun factor!). And the best part? Many of these games are available online.
Street Fighter
The original Street Fighter is 35 years old and still packs a powerful punch. The game’s graphics aren’t up to the standards of modern times, of course, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not hugely enjoyable to play. It was a groundbreaking game upon release, and even now you can see how influential it has been. You’ll travel around the world combating a range of colorful characters before finally meeting the big boss.
It seems simple to play at first (just hitting random buttons seems to work sometimes) but it’s best to spend some time really learning the moves — it’ll make your journey to the top much more straightforward.
Goldeneye
Speak to people of a certain age about what was the best game of their youth, and they’ll invariably say Goldeneye. This game was a game changer when it was released on the Nintendo 64 following the release of the successful James Bond movie. What’s to love? Well, it’s generally true to the movie, which was one of the best Bond movies of all time, and it also presents a huge challenge without being impossible. The graphics look pretty clunky now, but they were mind-blowing at the time. If you’ve never played the game, then you owe it to yourself to give it a try. And if you played the game as a youth, then it’ll give you a chance to take a wonderful trip down memory lane.
Pac Man
Pac Man is an old, old game — it was released in 1980 — that has very much stood the test of time. You’ll likely have played the game before, but if you haven’t, the basic premise is that you have to eat as many pellets as possible before getting hit by a ghost. The beauty of the game lies in its simplicity. You can learn how to play in a matter of seconds. The success of the game spawned an entire empire, but to many, the original is still the best.
Want to play straight away? Head to Google’s homepage and search for Pac Man — the game will appear within the search results.
Grand Theft Auto III
In truth, we could have named plenty of Grand Theft Auto games. But given how influential Grand Theft Auto III was — and continues to be — we feel we have to include this one. It set the bar for the franchise, and if you don’t believe us, go back and play the first GTA games. It was in this game that the entire universe was brought to life. It’s not as fluid as the games that arrived later, but it’s still a whole bunch of fun to play. Plus, listening to that old soundtrack will take you back in time like nothing else.
Chess
Thought we were only going to include video games on this list. Think again! Chess is one of the oldest games on the planet, and that’s a pretty impressive feat — will people still be playing Fortnite in thousands of years? Chess isn’t just surviving in the digital age, it’s thriving. It’s trickier than most games to learn, and even more difficult to master, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll unleash a lifelong passion. There’s nothing better than sitting outside on a beautiful summer’s evening, engaged in a long chess game. Live in a city? See if there are any chess groups operating — in all likelihood, there will be.
Solitaire
Don’t have the patience to become a chess grandmaster? Or you’re looking for a classic single-player game? Then try playing solitaire, the skill/chance game that you’ll probably remember from the earliest versions of Windows, which had the game pre-installed. It’s not quite as old as chess, having been invented at some point in the early 1800s, but it’s arguably more fun. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as completing a game of solitaire. Plus, it’s a game that you can play online or offline, and games are so short that they’re perfect for playing when you’re on the train to work or waiting for a flight.
Tetris
And talking of short, satisfying games, what about Tetris? This game, like all the best ones, is almost comically simple — all you’re trying to do is fit the blocks into one another to prevent the wall from reaching the top. But boy, is it addictive. You can see the influence it had on the mobile games that we see today. It’s easy to get started, making it suitable for people who have never played any type of video game before, but it takes a lot to master. There’s an oddly competitive Tetris world out there, with big tournaments taking place to see who’s the best in the world.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Does anyone not love Sonic the Hedgehog? There’s a lot to love about this game; it’s cute, it’s energetic, and it’s challenging. As you’ll be aware, there are plenty of different Sonic games out there, but in our book, the best one is Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which was released back in 1992 on the Sega Genesis. It still stands the test of time now, in part because it was always designed to be fun rather than anything overly serious, and graphics aren’t really important for games like this. If you have kids, then it’s worthwhile introducing them to this lovable game.
Gran Turismo
The original — and some would say the best — retro driving game. It helped to push the racing genre forward like nothing else could, and it still very much stands the test of time. Grab your friends and you’re unlikely to regret doing battle on the famous tracks around the world in your fast and furious vehicles.
Snake
If you had a Nokia phone in the early days of mobile phones, then you’ll know all about Snake, which came preinstalled on the devices. Is it the greatest game you’ll ever play? Absolutely not — but it was a seminal release that helped to popularize the idea of playing games on your mobile phone, which is now a huge industry. It’s a fun game to play, and as with Pac Man, you can play it directly within Google, though if you were expecting the classic Nokia look you’ll be disappointed; the Google version has some fancy graphics.
Streets of Rage
This classic brawler game has a lot going for it — great characters, the mean streets, fun weapons, and some fantastic outfits. The first Streets of Rage is a lot of fun to play, but they really hit their stride with Streets of Rage 2.
Tomb Raider
You know a game is a hit when it launches an entire universe, and that’s just what happened with Tomb Raider. The original game was released back in 1996 and boy, was it good. Dive back in and enjoy the adventures of Lara Croft on her archaeological quests.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
You know a game is good when it has a significant impact on an entire culture. People were into skateboarding before Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater came out, but it’s undeniable that it had a huge impact on its increasing popularity. The first game set the tone, but for the true experience, look at playing Pro Skater 2 — that’s when the game really came into its own and became a global hit. The soundtrack is amazing, too.
Space Invaders
Finally, there’s Space Invaders. This game has well and truly stood the test of time. Released back in 1978, it was the arcade game and was hugely influential. People have been playing it for decades and in all likelihood will still be playing it many decades into the future. There are plenty of websites that’ll allow you to play the game within your browser, but for the best experience, try to find a bar that has arcade games.
Conclusion
And there we have it! There are plenty of other games we could have included on this list, that’s for sure. But we think the above selection is a good starting point for people who want to dive into the classic games of yesteryear. These titles aren’t just fun to play, but they often have historical value, too — the games that you play today just wouldn’t have been possible without the titles we’ve included above.
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