If you grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, you most likely have a favorite video game. These classic games lacked the realistic-ness of today’s computer games, and the music was not that great. However, they were the escape most kids craved and could spend hours getting lost in those worlds.
If you want to escape from the high definition computer graphics of today’s games, and go back to a similar time, visit this page for the best old video games.
Here are 10 old video games, often called the “classics” that redefined the gaming industry from the beginning.
- Pokémon (Blue and Red)
Before people were actually running around outside to find “Pikachu” and company, there was the video game Pokémon. This game was typically on a handheld device and the Blue and Red were the role-playing game that started a revolution in the pop culture gaming world.
The Blue Version and the Red Version were created for Game Boy by Game Freak and published through Nintendo. They were the original Pokémon in a long series of games. They were first released in Japan during the “Big Release” of 1996.
- Tetris
“From Russia with Fun” read the first box of Tetris, the fast-paced falling block game created by Russian game designer Alexey Pajitnov.
The game was designed for release with the IBM PC and Commodore 64 gaming system and published by the US company Spectrum HoloByte. But it wasn’t until 1989 when the Game Boy launched their version did the game take off. That same year, Electronic Gaming Monthly named Tetris the number one “greatest games of all time” out of 100 games.
Geometric square shapes in sets of four fall from the top and can be twisted to fit matching blocks at the bottom of the screen, providing hours of challenging fun.
- Super Mario World
This is just one game in the Super Mario series of games. It is a side-scrolling game from Nintendo and has maintained popularity over several decades. The 16-bit art is still a favorite in today’s gaming world.
The game follows Mario, a plumber, and sometimes his brother Luigi, on a quest to save Princess Toadstool. The pair navigates a series of level until they can rescue the princess without falling down many pits or being eaten by monsters.
- World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft or WOW is an MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role-playing game which allowed individual players to invite other players from around the world to join them in real time to play a video game.
WOW was released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment and is the fourth in a series of fantasy games set in the Warcraft Universe.
The game allows players to customize an avatar and embark on a quest through different realms with other players. There are also different areas where players go up against other players called Player Versus Player or PvP play.
- Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II or SFII is a fighting game that allows players to compete against each other on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. This game is similar to the ones put out before with the original one release in 1987 of the pinball games in arcades.
The game is controlled by a joystick and accompanying buttons. Jumping forwards, backwards or away from the opponent, crouching and kicking are all available moves to beat the other guy. There is a series of knock outs and the best out of three is the overall winner.
- Wii Sports
The Wii console believed video games should be fun for everyone. This is a pack-in game console developed by Nintendo and was the first all sports packaged gaming system.
The five sports that came with the Wii System included Boxing, Tennis, Golf, Bowling, and Baseball. The player uses a controller and mimes the movements while their character on the television. You control the avatar with your movements.
- Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
This game is said to have redefined the game industry with its remarkable 3D experience. This game was the first and original “moody” toned game. It also paired a well-orchestrated playlist of music with a nostalgic storyline.
One of the best parts of the original Legend of Zelda is that fact it was the first game to feature a pause option. Before this, kids played until their fingers were numb, then they gave up whatever progress they made that day.
A high impact action-adventure game, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the fifth game in the Zelda series. The game was developed and published by Nintendo for Nintendo 64 in 1998.
- Grand Theft Auto III
The earlier versions of Grand Theft Auto were limited and game-like as they were designed as a top-down viewpoint style game. This third version turned the gaming world on its head by creating a third-person, 3D world and introduced more sex and violence than any other game.
This game required players to maneuver and think outside the box in order to navigate the streets and win the game. The trick is, sandbox gaming is non-liner, yet there is a clear path to win the game.
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
Taking sports gaming to a whole new level, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was a far cry from the beginning days of side-scrolling. This game used various camera placements and 3D graphics to achieve awesome jumping viewpoints and a more realistic gaming experience.
The beauty of this game is that a player doesn’t have to know anything about skateboarding. The hard jumps and tricks are performed by increasingly difficult button pressing combinations.
- Pac-Man
Pac-Man is from the traditional arcade games and was very popular among video gamers in the early ’80s. This game is one of the highest grossing video games of all times.
The maze-style game is simple, having the “main” character eats his way around a maze while trying to be caught by the villain, blue ghosts.