Old games that actually hold up today

[MamboGator]

What are some old games that still look and play great today? I'm not talking about games you're nostalgic for and still enjoy. I mean games that a new player could pick up today and still think is graphically appealing and doesn't have that retro-game "clunk" in the controls. You may still love an old game, but you have to admit that it is ugly and a chore to play compared to modern games in the genre.

I just replayed Doom 3 again today for the first time in years, and it inspired this thread. Modern shooters still play pretty much identical to how Doom 3 did, whether you're using a keyboard and mouse or gamepad. And the graphics still look really good. Stylized graphics always hold up better than realistic, and the bulky character designs and stark shadows aged really well compared to games like FarCry or Half Life 2 that came out around the same time (not to say either of those games are bad, but they definitely show their age compared to Doom 3).

You could really add any of the old Doom games as well. No matter how old they get, the style, soundtrack and gameplay of the classic Doom games always holds up.

[Melooon]

I might be a little bias because its my ALL TIME favourite game; but I think SSX Tricky holds up really well (So do all the other SSX games). The graphics have aged and are very PS2 aesthetics, but once the game starts you forget about the visuals really fast. The soundtrack is fantastic 90s electronica and the controls for the most part still feel snappy and as you'd expect. I think it you sat a 10 year old down with it today they would enjoy it just as much as I did when I was 10!

[Zusk]

I have recently become a bit hooked to IQ; Intelligent Qube. The PS1 in general is filled with these sorts of weird hidden gems.

Also, hate to say this, but since the Gamecube's 20 years old technically those would count as 'old'. Super Mario Sunshine, Kirby Air Ride and most of the other gamecube big hitters still feel amazing (Notably point for Melee still having a huge competitive scene even today.)

[MamboGator]

I might be a little bias because its my ALL TIME favourite game; but I think SSX Tricky holds up really well (So do all the other SSX games). The graphics have aged and are very PS2 aesthetics, but once the game starts you forget about the visuals really fast. The soundtrack is fantastic 90s electronica and the controls for the most part still feel snappy and as you'd expect. I think it you sat a 10 year old down with it today they would enjoy it just as much as I did when I was 10!

I never played Tricky, but SSX3 is one of my all-time favourite games. I loved being able to ride from the top of the mountain to the bottom without any loading screens, and the music and art style are both great.

[sig]

I might be a little bias because its my ALL TIME favourite game; but I think SSX Tricky holds up really well

There is no week that goes by without me randomly starting to chant 'IT'S TRICKY TRICKY TRICKY TRICKY'

I thought the original Half-Life still holds up really well when I played it a few years back. The game is visually pretty dated but I still think it looks appealing, especially in the atmosphere it creates. Besides, I never played it Back In The Day so at least I know my judgement isn't clouded by nostalgia!

[Plasmon]

1. Deus Ex. The graphics are pretty bad, even by 1999 standards, but the gameplay is amazing—it's perfectly open-ended. Not to mention the way the game's story became even more relevant with time.

Honestly, I think it puts a lot of modern immersive sims to absolute shame. Deus Ex is so good at giving you the freedom to solve challenges however you want it makes you forget all the racism in the Hong Kong section. (That part didn't hold up so well, but at least the gameplay in that level was great.)

2. F.E.A.R.. Yeah the graphics don't melt systems nowadays, but the graphics are still very good, and it's awesome to see the way bullets cause giant sparks and shit everywhere.

Even if the game's story sucks, F.E.A.R. somehow manages to keep me hooked with how awesome the gunfights look and feel—I could talk about how much fun the shotgun in that game is for ages (or at least a couple minutes).

[brisray]

I've never been much of a gamer but puzzle games like TIM (The Incredible Machine) from the mid90's were always good.

But what I'm really writing about is Sherlock which is even older than TIM. Computer magazines used to have floppy disks and later still CDs attached to them with a variety of software. Sherlock was shareware (try before you buy) but one magazine made a mistake and gave away the full version of it. https://www.kaser.com/sherwin.html

About 25 years ago I gave a copy of that to some woman and she still spends hours playing it.

That wasn't the worst mistake some of the magazines made. One of them gave away the Marburg computer virus to anyone who used their disk, including me, except it didn't come to life until 3 months after it was installed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6k4cz3Z9a

That "some woman" became my wife and I know for certain she still plays it. It's the only game I absolutely MUST save when we get new computers.