Wii and Xbox may never compare to these vintage favorites
With the diverse selection of modern games at your disposal, why bother playing outdated has-beens?
Because old classics are like eating a Fruit Roll-Up: Sometimes the lunch box era memories are the sweetest. So search your attic, blow on those dusty old cartridges and have fun unraveling your past.
1. “Super Smash Bros.,” Nintendo 64, 1999
Four players assume the role of their favorite Nintendo character — from Mario and Link to Captain Falcon and Pikachu — and beat them to smithereens in stages designed after other Nintendo games. Anyone who has lived in a dorm can attest that Super Smash Bros. has brought more freshmen together than the entirety of Greek life. It’s easy to pick up and play but hard to master. Turn on all items for maximum absurdity and make it illegal to play as Fox — that’s just cheap.
2. “GoldenEye 007,” Nintendo 64, 1997
Any fans of shooting games should play GoldenEye 007 at least once in their lives. This game made all 8 million Call of Duty titles possible. Consider it the gamer equivalent of visiting Mecca. It feels more dated than most of the games on this list, but blasting your buddies away on split screen never gets old. Also, be sure to look up the cheat code for “DK Mode” which gives enemies hilariously giant heads, a feature modern shooters desperately need to bring back.
3. “Crash Bandicoot: Warped,” Playstation, 1998
“Uka Uka!” If you were one of the unlucky kids who got a Playstation instead of an N64, then “Crash Bandicoot: Warped” was your saving grace. It was among the first platformers to throw out the classic fire and ice levels, replacing them with trips to Egypt, China and the future that had you piloting airplanes and riding tigers in addition to the basic run-and-jump gameplay. Also, Crash’s pelvic-thrusting victory dance will put a smile on even the most hardened of Nintendo fan boys. Simply put, Crash Bandicoot beats Mario any day.
4. “Mario Kart 64,” Nintendo 64, 1997
You’ve probably played this game way too competitively with your roommates late into the night instead of studying for finals. Like “Super Smash Bros.,” “Mario Kart 64” shows off a smorgasbord of Nintendo games that has you hurling turtle shells and lightning bolts at your opponents in a race to the finish. I dare you not to fall off the side of Rainbow Roadand throw your controller at the wall after your friend leaves a banana peel in your path.
5. “Tetris,” Game Boy, 1989
No other mobile game can hold a back-light to the staying power of “Tetris.” Since its release in 1984, the simple-yet-challenging matching tile puzzle game has remained virtually unadulterated save for a few added color palettes. When “Tetris” reached the Game Boy in 1989, puzzle games had forever solidified their place in the U.S. Ultimately, it’s Tetris you have to blame for all those pesky Candy Crush requests — not me.
Honorable Mentions:
“The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,” Nintendo 64, 1998
“Pac-Man,” Arcade, 1980
“Duck Hunt,” NES, 1985
“Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!,” Playstation, 1999