Introduction
All around the world, people love to play video games. From the time before online gaming, we all have memories of playing some of our favorite games with friends and family. This list is a round-up of the top 10 best retro video games that you’ll never forget! We’ve added links for each game so you can see where to play these again!
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a 3D adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in November 1998, and in Europe and Australia in March 1999.
The game was nominated for various awards at E3 1998, including Best Game of Show, Best Adventure Game, Best Music/Sound and Best Role-Playing Game; it won the first two categories.[4][5] The N64 version sold 4.37 million copies worldwide (as of March 31st 2016), making it one of the best-selling games on any system (only behind Mario Kart 64), while The Master Quest version sold 1 million copies worldwide (as of March 31st 2016). In addition to being an excellent video game release at that time – topping charts internationally – The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was also very influential within its genre as well as across other forms such as film & television production teams looking for inspiration with their own projects during this period which were often inspired by this particular title’s success story.”
Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64 is a classic. It’s also one of the best games you’ll ever play—and it was the first 3D game to feature our favorite plumber, Mario.
When this game came out in 1996, it revolutionized video games as we know them today. The controls were intuitive and easy to use, which meant that anyone could pick up a controller and play right away: no need for tutorials or an instruction manual! This fun platformer also included many different levels so you could play again and again—each time with different challenges or goals as well as new collectibles like stars or coins hidden throughout each level.
Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie is a platform video game developed by Rare and originally released for the Nintendo 64. It was first released in 1998, and has since been ported to other systems. The game follows the adventures of Banjo, a bear, and Kazooie, his bird friend. They must rescue Banjo’s sister Tooty from the evil witch Gruntilda and save their home of Spiral Mountain from her clutches.
Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot is a series of platform video games developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series centers on the adventures of the titular bandicoot, Crash, who must rescue his girlfriend Tawna from the evil Dr. Neo Cortex.
The games consist of Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Crash Team Racing (franchise), and several other spin-offs in the same universe such as Skylanders Academy among others.
Earthbound
Earthbound was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. It’s a role-playing video game that continues the story of the game Mother, which was released in Japan in 1989. The American version is known as Earthbound Beginnings because it includes a new prologue that explains why Ness and his friends are in Eagleland (Earth) instead of on their home world, called Onett.
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. It was conceived by Hironobu Sakaguchi after his departure from Squaresoft, whose Final Fantasy series had been immensely successful in Japan but had not yet gained prominence in North America or Europe. Sakaguchi hired several freelance designers to work on Chrono Trigger; among them were Dragon Ball manga author Akira Toriyama, who designed many of the characters using an anime aesthetic; and composer Yasunori Mitsuda, who created multiple tracks of score incorporating elements of jazz and classical music.
The game’s story follows a group of adventurers who travel through time to prevent a global catastrophe. Its development spanned two years and involved over 100 people; they originally envisioned it as a sequel to Secret of Mana but decided to develop it into something larger once they saw how big the project was getting. Chrono Trigger was well received critically upon release; reviewers praised its gameplay innovation, graphics, sound quality, story depth and faithfulness to Japanese role-playing conventions while criticizing some aspects such as its brevity relative to other RPGs at that time due to its short length when compared against others like Final Fantasy VI with more than 50 hours worth of content despite having similar mechanics such as multiple endings depending on player choices during adventure along with replay value thanks largely because this one was so easy compared with most other games released back then which usually required lots more work such as leveling up characters before defeating bosses without dying first or dying too many times because they didn’t pay enough attention while playing them until everything worked out fine at last!
Final Fantasy 7 and 8
Final Fantasy 7 and 8 are a series of role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix. The series is one of the most successful in the role-playing genre, selling over 110 million units worldwide. The series is divided into two sub-series: Final Fantasy 7 through 9, which all take place in different worlds but feature similar gameplay elements; and 10 onward, which all take place in the same universe but feature different characters and gameplay styles.
Final Fantasy 7 was originally released in 1997 as an eighth generation console game on PlayStation. Players control Cloud Strife, who is part of an eco-terrorist group called Avalanche seeking to destroy Shinra Corporation’s Mako reactors because they cause environmental damage. Along with other members from Avalanche, Cloud helps rescue Aerith Gainsborough from Shinra after she is kidnapped by them for her ability to use magic known as “White Materia” — something she can only do when inspired by nature around her such as flowers or animals that she cares about deeply.”
Age of Empires 2
Released in 1999, Age of Empires 2 is a real-time strategy game that is considered one of the most influential video games of all time. It was so successful that it inspired an entire series of games and sold over 2 million copies during its first 24 hours on sale. The game won over 50 “Game of the Year” awards from various publications and has been inducted into multiple halls of fame for its achievements.
Age of Empires 2 continues to be a classic for anyone who has ever touched a PC or gaming console since it first came out; whether you’re looking for something to play with friends or just want to reconnect with your past self, this retro game will provide hours upon hours worth of entertainment!
Pokemon Red and Blue
Pokemon Red and Blue was the first game in the Pokemon series to be released in the US, as well as being its first installment. It was also the first game to use 3D graphics.
The story takes place in Kanto, where you have to collect all 150 Pokemon from eight gym leaders and defeat Team Rocket (who wants to take over the world). The game has been remade several times since then: once for Game Boy Color (Pokemon Gold), once for Game Boy Advance (Pokemon Crystal), again for Nintendo DS (Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver), again for iOS devices (HeartGold/SoulSilver) and finally for 3DS systems with updated graphics and new features like motion controls when catching Pokémon or battling them against each other.
GoldenEye 007
The game was developed by Rare, who were given the task of making a James Bond game. The team decided to make a first-person shooter game based on GoldenEye, which was released in 1995 for the Nintendo 64 console.
Even though it came out 20 years ago, it’s still popular today and there are annual tournaments held for the game. It’s been one of the most influential video games ever made because many FPS games have copied its controls and its style of gameplay.
Taking a trip down memory lane and remembering some of the best games we’ve ever played.
You may be old enough to remember these games, or you may have read about them before. Either way, they were and still are some of the most influential video games ever made.
Conclusion
In closing I’d like to say that these games were a big part of my childhood, and many others as well. They inspired me to be creative and to build worlds myself through writing short stories. The games we play shape us for better or for worse, but one thing is certain: video games are here to stay
