If you’ve ever enjoyed some lazy afternoons just sitting on the rug, passing greasy controllers around, and occasionally blowing into the business end of a Nintendo cartridge, then you know what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about the best old-school video games of all time. Here goes nothing:
13. Super Mario Bros 2. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who loved Mario 2 and those who hated it. If you hated it, you just couldn’t get past all the turnip-digging and carrot-tossing. If you loved it, you picked Princess, flew through all the levels, defeated all the egg-spitting ostrich bosses, dusted your palms together, and you called it a day. Of course, there was always that massive sense of disappointment when the end credits revealed that the entire game was just a dream Mario had one night. What a bummer.
12. Wolfenstein 3D. Wolfenstein really blew open the whole world of first-person shooters back in 1992. It was just you, a bunch of Nazis, and a maze of neverending hallways. Sounds scary, but you’d be fine as long as you ate enough turkey drumsticks before battling Robot Hitler. Mein leben!
11. Street Fighter 2. This game really evened the odds between the older brother, with the thick glasses and the calloused thumbs, and the kid sister, with the overalls and toothy aw-shucks grin. Because that kid sister, that Nintendo novice, that rookie who never played video games, well she could just go on a hot streak of straightup neverending E. Honda hundred-hand-slaps and there really wasn’t anything the older brother could do about it. Except possibly pull her hair until she started crying. Sorry, Nina.
10. Duck hunt. The great-great-grandfather of the Nintendo Wii would have to be Duck Hunt, where you used the plastic plugged-in gun to learn how to hunt. Now, who else walked right up the TV in frustration and killed every duck from two inches away? You practically had to when that invincible dog started laughing at you. There was no choice. Plus, how else could you train for clay shooting?
9. Bubble Bobble. An afternoon falling through the Bubble Bobble levels was like acid tripping for a six-year old. The music got wilder and wilder as you and a pal continuously slaughtered robots by suffocating them in your dangerous dinosaur-spewed bubbles and then eating their dead corpses which, after you popped them, magically turned into shiny pieces of fruit. Somehow this all made sense, too. We must’ve been high on Pixy Stix.
8. Pong. Distributed exclusively by Sears for $100 a pop during the 1975 Christmas season, Pong eventually burned its way into hearts and television screens across the world.
7. Mike Tyson’s Punch Out. Before rape, prison, and facial tattoos, Mike Tyson starred in an animated game for children. You played as Little Mac and worked your way up the circuit by pummeling boxers like Glass Joe, Bald Bull, Mr. Sandman, and eventually Mike Tyson himself. The characters were great and Mario even moonlighted as the referee here, once again showing his tremendous versatility and athleticism.
6. Sonic The Hedgehog. Sonic was a great game to play when you went over to your friend’s house and they had Sega instead of Nintendo. Why did they have Sega instead of Nintendo? Well, it was either for the sports games or the blood in Mortal Kombat, one of the two.
5. Tetris. If you were lucky, you could get away with telling your parents that Tetris was educational. It certainly looked like it was too, with all that falling geometry and the Kremlin backdrops. Though no one could really prove it, there sure was something suspiciously mathy about it. Of course, the greatest thing about Tetris was that you could just blame the game when you died. Those random shapes turned us all into hollow-eyed fatalists, left staring blankly into the television, shaking our heads and saying “I was just waiting for a line” over and over again.
4. Solitaire in Windows 3.0. Solitaire was that classic boring card game that you played by yourself when the boss wasn’t looking. It’s funny because almost everyone who finds it strangely addictive admits that it is in fact a completely terrible game. But it sure was a good way to teach your grandpa how to use a mouse.
3. Contra. Everyone talks about the famous Contra code that you entered during the startup screen to begin with 30 men but few people talk about how impossible this game was without the code. You had people shooting at you from all directions, you died after one bullet, and you started the game with only three lives. Even with the spray gun you probably only ran for about twenty seconds before getting shot and calling it quits. So basically, Contra taught us that bullets are really dangerous and that’s why cheating is important.
2. Super Mario Bros. There are so many memories from this instant classic, like the creepy music in World 1-2, the warp zone, the hammer brothers, the flying fish, and the first time you ever heard the phrase: “Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!”
1. Super Mario Bros 3. Fred Savage helped Mario 3 launch to fame with the ninety-minute commercial known as The Wizard. Remember his catatonic little bro who just said ‘Cali-forn-yah’ the whole movie but eventually showed the world how to find the whistle? Yes, Mario 3 completely blew everything else away by introducing us to flying raccoons, angry suns, Tanooki and Frog suits, and that impossible Tube World. It was a larger than life video game that provided years of fun at birthday parties and sleepovers everywhere. For this last game, how about the original commercial instead of a clip? I believe it accurately captures how the world felt about this game.
Yes, playing old school video games was always a sure way to get sore thumbs, strained eyes, and a dry mouth. But would you trade anything for all those hours in front of the TV set exploring strange and exotic worlds with your friends? Yes, the sun would dip down, the lights would go off upstairs, the bowls of Doritos and cans of Pepsi would empty, but that bright, flickering light from the TV didn’t stop casting kaleidoscope shadows on the wide-eyed faces sitting three feet in front of them well into the night.
And those were some seriously good times, my friend.
Some seriously good times.
AWESOME!
Balls!
Super Mario 2 sucks ass.
Old school games may be an awesome thing, but your list is seriously flawed.
Anyone here remember Blast Corps? That was a game that was ahead of it’s time. Amazing graphics, kick ass soundtrack, and possibly one of the best story lines in the history of games. Best game ever imo. That game was my whole childhood.
Some of this games can be downloaded at old games. It is a good resource for that.
Don’t forget Alex the Kid or California Games on Sega!
I play my super nintendo everyday. Donkey Kong should so be on that list.
i used to go to sleep with lulabys of Mario brothers in my head while my mother played in the next room. never could get enough game time but love the game anyways… the song from the first world (my mothers favorite) in the first game fills my head at times and makes it easier to sleep…
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California games,
Skate or Die,
Lemmings,
Street Rod…
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Q u o t e:
Hello everyone this is a very serious post I need to be pointed in the direction of a realistic release window for Diablo III. I have been a long long time fan of all Blizzard games however I am not getting any younger I am now 29 years old, and I play WoW.
My family & friends are starting to pressure me into embracing the things that are expected of an adult, such as marriage and having children, I have waited for almost 10 years to play the next game in the Diablo series and with rumors floating around for a 2012 release date that means that I would be 32 years old.
At that age it would be overwhelmingly difficult to justify playing a videogame on a hardcore basis so please I am begging you blizzard please atleast give me a rough estimate of when to expect a release date announcment.
————
What is to follow is just my personal opinion. I also want to say I know this is off topic and probably on the wrong forums, but I am passionate about what is to follow.
Video Games are not evil. They are not anymore dangerous than guns or drugs. One can argue that guns are dangerous objects and I do not disagree; but I honestly believe that the users are what make the gun dangerous. A police officer with a gun is regarded as a symbol of authority and safety, while a bank robber with a gun is symbolic of a dangerous killer. This is the image I’m trying to paint: Video Games are as dangerous as the gamer allows it to be.
While I do not deny the fact that video games are behind stuff like: loss of job, family, friends and life. The fact remains that there are also those who are holding down jobs, family, friends and life while playing video games responsibly. A video game is a hobby and enjoying video games is not a disease nor is it a crime.
Why is it okay to go to a bar and drink? Does alcahol not cause fits of violet rage? Doesn’t alcahol cause irrisponsible sexual behaviours including: adultry and pre-marital pregnancy? Does alcahol not cause physical abuse in those that we love? I’m willing to bet that many are willing to defend drinking as just a past time and it doesn’t hurt anyone…while done responsibly. Why then are video games any different?
Some may argue that playing video games diminishes your inter-personal skills. You become isolated from society and ultimatly become socially retarded. Does watching TV for 8 hours a day not fit that category as well? In fact, you probably communicate with many more people in a video game than you normally would in a normal day. The interaction is different as it is all text based, but you are still communicating. Typing through a video game is no different than SMS on a phone. When you SMS on a phone you’re considered cool, but when you do it on a large screen with a full keyboard in a graphic oriented software with characters and such, you’re seen as a social outcast?
Before you jump to conclusions, I just want to state on the record that I am not promoting 8 hours of video games a day. Irresponsible gaming is dangerous and can lead to a destroyed life, but quitting games because of your age, or marital status is stupid. When you are married you have different responsibilities, when you have children you are obliged to take care of them, when you have a job you are expected to work for what you are paid. These are all acts of responsibility and should be of higer priority than any hobby you have. In short, if you can fulfill all your moral obligations and still have time to game then all the power to you.
I am hoping that whoever reads this can understand my feelings for this subject. There are more people who die to gun related situations than video game playing. There are more deaths from movies than games as well. Remember the guys who went looking in the sewers for the Ninja Turtles after watching the movie?
I adore my Cricut expression! It has made my scrapbooking life SO much more relaxing. I don’t own too many carts but my favorite is Paper Pups.
This reminds me of me and my bro so much – out at the farm, where all we have is an old tv, a vcr, and a Nintendo, there were quite a few grand battles on that poor old system.
I enjoyed looking through some of the video clips you added to this post. It’s nice to look back on some of the old NES games. Even though they are far less advanced than the video games of today, there is still something about them that makes them truly entertaining and fun to play even now.
Tom
Anyone remember Maniac Mansion? I LOVE the music from it. I remember hot summer days playing it…
Also, All Pro Basketbrawl was fun, you could punch the players. Paperboy had the funniest sound effects. Dusty Diamond’s All Star Softball where you had colorful wacky characters like witches and monsters.
This articles brings back so much memories …. Thanks!
Playing these games are the best. Just the feeling that in only 15 years, we went from 2D, 8/16 -bit games to hi-def 3d games that you can play with anyone around the world. I own almost every game for the SuperNintendo. AWESOME!
Hey buddy,you reminded me of some games i’ve played when i was little,thank you.
I’m a little sad Paperboy didn’t make the list…I remember playing just to break every window in the neighborhood!! Last year we bought the NES so we could pass the traditional “blowing into the business end” of a cartridge to my 4yo he loves it!! Thanks for yet another great post that brings back so many great memories!!
AWESOME!!
some personal favorites
1. Super Bomberman – this game introduced me to getting grounded for playing video games all day
2. NBA JAM – Once you get your first “HE’S ON FIRE” you’re hooked for life
3.Goldeneye – You know you hated the guts of anyone who picked Oddjob. Plus proximity mines in the bathroom = the hardest I have ever laughed in my life.
yeah. surprisingly, they can be just as good as the ones that come out now
Dudes, I’ve been playing Duck Hunt for as long as it’s been out. That game is absolutely amazing to play. Anyone tried playing it on a widescreen projector? ;)
My NES works great. I like to Bust out the Catlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse every now and then.
I used to play Street Fighter 2 in the arcade before, during and after school. Loved that game. And I wasn’t half bad either!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I still have my first console, a playstation 1. When i’m bored, I sometimes play crash bandicoot on it. It makes me feel like a little child again. I also love pac man, i used to play it on these old machines when we went to a fair. I bought my wii so that i could download some old “Zelda” games like: majora’s mask and a link to the past ( but also to play the latest version of “Zelda: the twilight prncess”). I will admit that I download emulators on my computer. I did it so that i can play old-school games like “Harvest moon” and some old “Pokémon” games on it. You don’t find the old consoles so easily, and when you do find one, it’s really expensive. I love to play modern games like “Halo”, but when I play a really old one, it always makes me smile a little. As you can see, it doesn’t matter to me how old a game is, if it’s good, then i’ll play it.
This made me feel great. I have a super nes, and im proud to say it.
oh hell yes. I still pop in the old Prince of Persia in dos or donkey kong 94 for gameboy every once in a while. Sometimes even pokemon blue if I’m feeling the urge to catch a f***ing snorlax.
space invaders
I think Super Mario Bros 2 is the most classic video game, many people can get through all the levels. I played many times and I love it.
;)
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Ive played most of the games on that list and I agree.
what about donkey kong for n64??
What about final fantasy that was the best and zelda was also very good…. I still play them today
I wanted to be Chun Li.
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I have never tried this but it sounds very Fun and Entertaining
I understand
This and I
Am still young
Pretty much summed up my antisocial childhood right there
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