The Best Retro Games

[Handbag1992]

Having recently acquired my Tardis licence, I wish now to go back and play the very best games from the Playstation 1 era and before. I have a few games already (yes Ocarina of Time before anyone mentions it) but I'd like your opinions on the very best games of times gone by.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I was a Genesis/PS1 household (FUCK NINTENDO was my youth motto, I guess)...

So, I'll help with the Genesis

Gunstar Heroes (ported to Wii, Steam, PS3, 360, with online co-op added)
Streets of Rage 2 (ported to Wii, PS3, 360...possible Steam...with online co-op & versus added)
The Lost Vikings (ported to GBA, also on SNES)
Sonic 2, 3, & Knuckles (ported to SO MUCH DAMN SHIT. Also, fuck Sonic 1. Sonic 1 doesn't have Spin Dash)

PS1

Legend of Mana
Brave Fencer Musashi
Grandia
Wild ARMs 1 + 2

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

If you REALLY want to go old-school, look up Dungeons of Daggorath [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_of_Daggorath]. It was a game released back in 1982 [small]when dinosaurs roamed the Earth[/small] that had a first-person view, locational sound, progressive gameplay (as you killed things, you got stronger and could use more powerful items) and time-dependent elements (the dungeons were pitch-black and your torch would eventually burn out even if you stood there and did nothing). And all this fit on an 8-kilobyte cartridge- which meant that it takes up less memory than some of the avatar pictures here on the Escapist. (It also had recharging health, of a sort, but at least you didn't have to squat behind a chest-high wall.)

I can't say it's aged well (and someday, I really want to do a modern rework of it), but if you want to see what was the cutting edge of computer gaming thirty years ago, it's worth a look.

 

[Dr.Susse]

Parasite eve I & II are my favourites from the Ps1 line up.
Also;
Wild arms
Grandia
Medievil
A Guardians Crusade
And Crash Bandicoot.

 

[DanielBrown]

Not sure how the games hold up today, but when I was a kid I loved Spyro the Dragon 1-3 and Crash Bandicoot 1-3.

inb4 Final Fantasy VII

Edit: I also agree with the previous posters mention of Grandia. Had totally forgotten that game... It was awesome. <3

 

[EzraPound]

These are all must-plays. It's good you're delving--the nineties were video games' finest hour, and the eighties aren't bad, either.

Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros. 3
Tetris
Sid Meier's Pirates!
X-COM: UFO Defense
Civilization I/II
SimCity
DOOM
Wolfenstein 3D
GoldenEye 007
Half-Life
Super Mario 64
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Chrono Trigger
Super Metroid
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VII
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Planescape: Torment
Fallout
Pokémon Red/Blue
Wario Land 3
The Secret of Monkey Island
Grim Fandango
Zork I
King's Bounty
StarCraft

 

[Handbag1992]

Snip

Holy list of Hades Batman! That's a lot of games. I can cross off a few, but this should keep me going for weeks. Thanks

 

[Talal Provides]

Gran Turismo 2 is very probably the greatest all-around racing game of all time.

 

[redrefugee]

These are all must-plays. It's good you're delving--the nineties were video games' finest hour, and the eighties aren't bad, either.

Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros. 3
Tetris
Sid Meier's Pirates!
X-COM: UFO Defense
Civilization I/II
SimCity
DOOM
Wolfenstein 3D
GoldenEye 007
Half-Life
Super Mario 64
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Chrono Trigger
Super Metroid
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VII
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Planescape: Torment
Fallout
Pokémon Red/Blue
Wario Land 3
The Secret of Monkey Island
Grim Fandango
Zork I
King's Bounty
StarCraft

Great list, missing Super Mario World and Links awakening from their respective franchises though.

Also, everyone should be made, by law, to play Secret of Mana.

 

[starwarsgeek]

Sure, here's some of my--

Hmm. It appears I was ninja'd. Darn...

These are all must-plays. It's good you're delving--the nineties were video games' finest hour, and the eighties aren't bad, either.

Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros. 3
Tetris
Sid Meier's Pirates!
X-COM: UFO Defense
Civilization I/II
SimCity
DOOM
Wolfenstein 3D
GoldenEye 007
Half-Life
Super Mario 64
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Chrono Trigger
Super Metroid
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VII
Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Planescape: Torment
Fallout
Pokémon Red/Blue
Wario Land 3
The Secret of Monkey Island
Grim Fandango
Zork I
King's Bounty
StarCraft

Well...
umm.
Ehh, just read that list and go to this link
http://www.retrowaretv.com/HappyVideoGameNerd/tabid/96/Default.aspx

 

[Mustang678]

Off the top of my head I'd say X-Com: UFO Defense, Ultima 7, and Master of Magic

 

[Bobby_D]

Chrono Cross
Legend of Dragoon
Super Mario RPG (it's hard to find for less than forty bucks though, because it's so rare, but if you can get a ROM, then play this damn game)

All JRPGs, but reeeeeeeaaalllly good ones. Also, I second Grim Fandango