5 Rad Retro Games to Rediscover this Year

It’s a banner time for gaming and gamers everywhere. The development of VR technology, the formation of the Overwatch League, and the continuous progression of new game systems like the Nintendo Switch provide a panoply of options for gamers to explore and enjoy. However, sometimes the greatest pleasure is rediscovering an old gem. To that end, here are five retro games that are totally worth dusting off again. Fire up your rickety TVs gamers, it’s time to head back to the era of blast processing:

Silent Hill 2 –– Playstation 2, 2001

Silent Hill 2 is a pants-wettingly frightening game, even by today’s standards. What it lacks in polished graphics and blood-splatter action sections, it more than makes up for in brooding atmosphere and constant tension. Don’t play this game in the dark –– unless you want to have nightmares of Pyramid Head hunting you down for the rest of your life. SH2 is a near-perfect game that’s still inspiring developers.

Super High Impact –– SNES, Genesis, 1991

Holy cow is this old-school football game a delight. Smash your opponents in literal fistfights that break out randomly between plays, and delve back to a time when it didn’t matter if a game had an NFL license –– just as long as it rocked hard. A spiritual predecessor to NFL Blitz for those of a certain age.

Arrow Flash –– Sega Genesis, 1990

There’s nothing ostensibly memorable about this space-shooter for the Genesis. There’s no story other than “shoot the bad guys,” it doesn’t have the legacy of some other franchises of the era, and its soundtrack is solid if unspectacular. So what makes it so special? Well, for one it looks gorgeous for the period; the enemies are varied and colorful and the level designs are spectacular. And there’s something so viscerally satisfying about this game. At once mindless, yet all-consuming, it’s simple and brilliant and addictive like crazy. Absolutely fabulous.

Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes –– Multiple Platforms, 1999

Remember when video games about war could be silly and fun? Sarge’s Heroes will help jog your memory. Take control of a plastic army man hell-bent on freeing his captured crew and overthrowing the despotic Tan Army. Just the fact that you can use a rubber ducky as cover during firefight that occurs in a bathtub makes this game worth checking out again. What a trip!

Super Mario Bros. 3 –– Nintendo Entertainment System, 1990

You wouldn’t have to conduct an in depth interview with Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto to understand the magnificence of this game; instead, it’s evident from the moment you begin playing it. More complex and fleshed out than the earlier entries to the series, Mario 3 isn’t just one of the greatest games on the NES –– it ranks among the best video games ever produced. You can’t overstate this game’s excellence; give it a play through again for yourself and you’ll be sure to agree.

Article Submitted By Community Writer

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