Looking back on the best games in history there are a lot of games to choose from. If you decide that you’re going to go back and try one of these games to remember why they’re brought up during discussion 20 or more years later, you may be in for a surprise.
A lot of time has gone by since the early days of gaming, and with that passing of time new standards have been established. As our expectations have risen, so has the probability of classic games not feeling quite like they used to, some more than others. Though, there are some games that have stood the test of time, offering a glimpse into their greatness to anyone willing to leave the comfort of the modern age.
Also See: Resident Evil HD Remaster Review – Survival Horror Origins
We’ve decided to look at some of the games that have and haven’t aged so well. We have listed five of each in the gallery below, and encourage you to share your personal experiences in the comments section.
Nostalgia: 10 Games That Have and Haven't Aged Well
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Aged Well: Chrono Trigger
Release Year: 1995
Original Platform: SNES
Many of the RPGs on SNES are just as great to play as they were in the early 90's, but Chrono Trigger is one of the finest examples. Its sprites are great on the eyes, far better than the early days of 3D with colorful environments and highly defined character design. Its controls are simple, and Active Time Battle system complex enough to get the brain juices flowing without being overbearing. Also, its story still holds up as one of the most captivating in RPG history.
The game has been ported over to PlayStation, Nintendo DS, and mobile, all forms of which have had at the most minor adjustments made to the nearly 20 year old game. Even then, it's managed to grip gamers from beginning to end.
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Hasn't Aged Well: Crash Bandicoot
Release Year: 1996
Original Platform: PS1
Crash Bandicoot arrived at a time in the PS1 era where the DualShock controller wasn't yet released. So, it's one of many games that would have benefitted greatly from analog sticks, but had to be played with the d-pad. Given that it was one of the world's first 3D platformers, and one that required great precision and timing, it's an example of a game that was praised upon release, but plays shockingly bad by today's standards.
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Aged Well: Counter-Strike 1.6
Release Year: 1999
Original Platform: PC
Out of everything on this list, Counter-Strike 1.6 is the only game that I still visit on occasion. I would argue that it has the best first-person shooter controls of all-time; bullets landed where you wanted them to, it was simple to play but impossible to master, and the gameplay never came between you and your objective.
Counter-Strike 1.6 was so good that its successor, Counter-Strike: Source, would never top its popularity. It wasn't until 13 years later when Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was released that veterans would begin to move on.
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Hasn't Aged Well: Final Fantasy VII
Release Year: 1997
Original Platform: PS1
You could argue that Final Fantasy VII is just as if not more beloved than any other game on this list. While I consider it my third favorite game of all-time, I would never touch it again unless it was remastered.
Final Fantasy VII was one of the first 3D RPGs, and it shows. Its characters were cool in concept, but astonishingly ugly on-screen. Its environments were full of sharp edges and undefined textures. It's no wonder it's the most popular request for a remaster. Just look at Cloud's hands.
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Aged Well: StarCraft
Release Year: 1998
Original Platform: PC
Real-Time Strategy games haven't evolved too much in the past two decades. As a matter of fact, Blizzard made it a goal not to tamper too much with StarCraft's formula when conjuring StarCraft 2. Outside of a few mechanical adjustments and significantly improved visuals, they aren't too different from one another.
StarCraft continued to be one of the world's most popular eSport titles for more than 15 years. You could even consider it South Korea's sport of choice. The reason being that the game had tremendous depth with well-thought out unit and building design, with the simplicity of three factions. It wasn't a game with a lot of fluff. It aimed to be a high skill-cap game, and would live and die by being impossible to master.
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Hasn't Aged Well: GoldenEye 007
Release Year: 1997
Original Platform: N64
What do you get when you release a stellar first-person shooter on a console that isn't equipped with a proper FPS controller? GoldenEye 007, that's what.
GoldenEye 007 was an amazing game when it was released. Well, mostly because virtually every other FPS on consoles was sub-par at the time. The truth is, until Halo: Combat Evolved would release in 2001, there was no such thing as an FPS on consoles with cohesive controls.
GoldenEye 007 had all the elements to be the best FPS at the time. It had great weapon design, a fantastic setting, a crowd-gathering local multiplayer component, and a solid campaign. However, within a few years its controls would go from adequate to downright unbearable. There's no going back to experiencing it like it was in 1997, so leave it to your memory.
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Aged Well: Tetris
Release Year: 1984
Original Platform: Elektronika 60
No matter who you are and whether or not you play video games, chances are you know what Tetris is. While other classic games like Pong, Galaga, and Pac-Man would have a huge impact on American culture, none has lived a more successful life than Tetris.
Tetris is now more than 30 years old, and even then there are people playing it on their cell phones and tablets. It's a game that delivers just as much of an addictive experience today as it did in the 80's. As a result, it has sold over 125 million copies, and that number is sure to continue to grow going into the future.
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Hasn't Aged Well: Resident Evil
Release Year: 1996
Original Platform: PS1
Resident Evil was the third game I ever owned on the PS1. I distinctly remember that even at the time the controls were difficult to overcome. They haven't gotten any better.
Made worse, the game had notoriously blocky visuals. It was difficult to discern a dining table from a dog. It's hard to believe that anyone thought Jill Valentine was hot when she was made up of less than 1,000 polygons.
The HD remaster that debuted earlier this week directly addressed both the clunky controls and blocky visuals, so if you want to be reminded why Resident Evil was so captivating 18 years ago, you best try out that version.
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Aged Well: Zelda: A Link to the Past
Release Year: 1991
Original Platform: SNES
There have been many great Zelda games. The series regularly finds itself onto the top 10 favorite games of all-time lists of gamers around the world. But as great as Ocarina of Time and the later games were, A Link to the Past has stood the test of time better than any other.
Not only does it feel great in the hands, it looks great. Its lush, puzzle-laden environments are still a joy to explore, making it one of the best destinations for nostalgia seekers.
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Hasn't Aged Well: Tomb Raider
Release Year: 1996
Original Platform: PS1
Tomb Raider's faults are very similar to Crash Bandicoot, except that its controls were even less forgiving, and level design playing to its weaknesses. Navigating the many caves that Lara Croft encounters during the experience was difficult in 1996, and is seemingly impossible today. There is no way to relive the glory days of Tomb Raider at this point.
