secret of mana, earthbound, and turtles in time :)
this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2025
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Steam Deck
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NES: Batman the video game (first one), TMNT II, Mario 2, Mario 3, Tetris, Kirby, Mega Man II and III, Castlevania, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden.
Genesis: Ranger X, Sonic 1 thru 3 plus & Knuckles, Comix Zone, Battletech, Phantasy Star II, X-Men, Streets of Rage 2
SNES: DCK2, Star Fox, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy III (VI), Legend of Zelda a Link to the Past, Terragama, Earthbound, Mega Man X, Super Castlevania, Super Metroid
N64: Star Fox 64, Mario 64, Both Zeldas, Blast Corps, Star Wars Shadows of the Empmire, Diddy Kong Racing, Quest64, Doom64
PSX: Xenogears, Final Fantasy 7 thru 9 and Tactics, Wipeout 1 thru 3, Brave Fencer Musashi, Intelligent Cube, Tomba, Crash Bandicoot 1 thru 3, Parasite Eve, Resident Evil 1 thru 3, Silent Hill, Street Figher Alpha 3
DC: Tech Romancer, Shenmue, Crazy Taxi, Jet Grind Radio, Skies of Arcadia, Gundam Side Story, Space channel 5, Power Stone, Sonic Adventure 2
Batman the Video Game is a sick cut. Sunsoft was doing some good shit.
The soundtrack for it was so good. and yeah it's by far my favourite NES game.
I don't know if you played it, but there was a totally different Game Boy Sunsoft Batman game. Also very good, and it has one of the kickinest soundtracks of any GB game I owned!
OK, let me fix that for you permanently.
This is Retroachievements.org.
Not only does it do what it says on the tin, but it's, for my money, the best discoverability tool out there for old games. The most obvious way to use it for that is to check the new games they've added achievements to, but they also have book club-style events (they're revisiting F1 games this month to go with the movie currently in theatres), challenges, seasonal achievements, leaderboards and all sorts of the types of metagaming stats tools you've seen in modern platforms to point you in the rigth direction.
You can start by selecting "all games" and sorting them all by players to see what's popular. Or, hell, reverse sort by players and see what weird crap is in there. Once you start down that rabbit hole you're more likely to have too much in your retro backlog than you are to ask this question again.
Wow that’s very useful for discovering games. Thanks!
2d games in general and basically anything that isn't pre-analogue stick 3d. Some games have quality of life mods/ patches available that make camera not suck, etc.
NES: Contra, Bubble Bobble, Faxanadu
SNES: Super Metroid, Kirby Superstar, Chrono Trigger
F-Zero X on N64
Honestly depends on what kind of games you like.
Many Metroid games are classics and still great to play. For the 3D Metroids, you can install Primehack and play Metroid Prime Trilogy for an amazing experience. For the classic style 2D metroids, I'd recommend a play order of Zero Mission (GBA), Samus Returns (3DS), Super Metroid (SNES), and Metroid Fusion (GBA).
Many older mario games are great, both 2D and 3D. Mario 64 has some great recompiled versions, and even stuff like sm64coopdx that lets you play online coop. Mario Sunshine (GCN) is fun too, and both Mario Galaxy (Wii) games are fantastic. Lots of good Zelda games too, such as Wind Waker (GCN/WiiU). Until recently I would have highly recommended Xenoblade X (WiiU), but it just got a remastered and expanded version on switch.
Terranigma (SNES)
Paper Mario
There's a world of options out there and you need to be more specific with what sorts of games you enjoy. I've been emulating on my Switch for a while, but also recently bought a dedicated retro emulation console so I have quite a few recommendations.
For games that are literally still up to modern standards, you can go back to Wii, 3DS, PS Vita, PS3 and beyond and you've basically got games that will still hold up just fine.
For older games: PSP, PS2, SNES and GBA are gold mines of content.
I've found it difficult to get into PS1, N64 and Dreamcast gaming. This was a time when 3D graphics were just starting to be widely used and are so very dated. It's difficult to look past the terrible graphics without nostalgia goggles. I've had more success in going back to SNES and Mega Drive games.... At least they have great pixel graphics with suitable games (side scrollers, platformers, etc).
For specific games, I find it best to go to metacritic and look at their list of all time best games, and limit by console and then work through the best every reviews. This does miss a lot of games though and if you say what sort of games you like then people can make recommendations. There are tons of hidden gems and niches..... Rhythm games, block drop, quirky puzzle games, etc. E.g.:
Everybody's Golf 6 (PS3) - excellent arcadey golf game
Mercury Meltdown (PSP) - puzzle game about manipulating mercury blobs. Great to play entirely with the Steam Deck gyroscope.
GTA China Town wars (PSP) - top down GTA game, modernised beyond the GTA2 controls
Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii) - excellent rhythm games
Super Mario 3D land (3DS) - 2.5 D Mario. Really solid platformer.
Wipeout 2048 (PS Vita) - solid combat racer
Micro machines 2 (Mega Drive) - quirky top down racer. Excellent for multiplayer.
Crazy Taxi (PS2) - taxi driving, really crazy though
Thank you for the recs. Part of the reason I wasn't more specific is because, in terms of retro games, I have no idea of what I like since I haven't really played any. Another part is that I want to know what you, the people, think holds up in 2025. And another part, I'm trying to keep my taste open -- my first exposure to video games was GameBoy games, then Halo on PC, then having an Xbox 360 and playing popular action-y games. Later I'd find a taste for action RPGs (after much picking up and putting down), and only in the last few years have I expanded that to more...traditional? slower, I guess...RPGs like BG3 and Disco Elysium...expanding to puzzle games, sidescrollers, bullethells. I know they're a lot different but I guess my point is, at one point, I found it hard to get into them, but over time I was able to figure them out and have fun. Still have never played a JRPG, so that's on the horizon for me. I enjoy when things "click" in my brain, and if it takes a long time, that's okay.
Some games that I've loved over my 25 or so years of consciousness:
My all time fav is Outer Wilds
RDR2
Disco Elysium
Balatro
Alan Wake 2
I'll always have a soft spot for Halo 1-Reach
Portal 1 and 2
Hades
Risk of Rain 2
Doom 2016
Batman: Arkham City
Dark Souls, Dark Souls 3, Sekiro
Dave the Diver
Vampire Survivors
INSIDE
(noticing none of these are retro games so idk if this is even helpful)
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Baldur's Gate 3
Dredge was cool but I didn't finish it
Witcher 3
Baba is You
Factorio was too addicting so I had to stop because it started feeling like work
GTA V because I enjoyed the satire
I have 2k+ hours in Rocket League since its the only game I can play while focusing on an audiobook or podcast or album.
Sounds pretentious because it is, but I like "heady" stuff, in games-terms I think that translates to things that expand my conception of what a game is and what it can do, or something that challenges me in a new way. But yeah, that's a long winded explanation of why I wasn't more specific regarding my taste.
Here's the current list I have that I've played/playing/plan to play through.
3DS: New Super Mario Bros 2, Kirby Planet Robobot, Super Mario 3D Land.
Gamecube: Legend of Zelda, The - The Wind Waker, Super Mario Sunshine
GBA: Advance Wars (1+2), Super Mario Advance 4, Kirby - Nightmare in Dream Land
Mega Drive: Earthworm Jim (1+2), Streets of Rage 2, Lost Vikings, Micro Machines 2, Sonic and knuckles, Jungle Strike
N64: Golden Eye 007, Super Mario 64
PS1: Castlevania - Symphony of the Night, Grand Theft Auto 2, Legacy of Kain - Soul Reaver, Final Fantasy 7+8+9
PS2: Crazy Taxi, GranTurismo 4, Metal Gear Solid 2+3, Okami, Ratchet & Clank - Up Your Arsenal (all the Ratchet and Clank games actually), Shadow of the Colossus, Tony Hawks Underground 2, Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter
PS3: Everybodys Golf 6, Ratchet & Clank Future - A Crack in Time
PSP: Rock Band Unplugged, Blast Off, Disgaea - Afternoon Of Darkness, Final Fantasy Tactics - The War of the Lions, Grand Theft Auto - Chinatown Wars, Half-Minute Hero, Hotshots Tennis, LittleBigPlanet, Lumines 2, Mega Man - Powered Up, Mercury Meltdown, Patapon, PixelJunk Monsters - Deluxe, Puzzle Quest - Challenge of the Warlords, Space Invaders Extreme, Wipeout (Pulse+Pure), Daxter
SNES: Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, Tetris Attack.
PS Vita: Gravity Rush, Wipeout 2048, Geometry Wars 3
Wii: Bully, Cave Story, Donky Kong Country Returns, Geometry Wars Galaxies, Kirby's Epic Yarn, New Super Mario Bros Wii, Rhythm Heaven Fever, Super Mario Galaxy (1+2), Super Paper Mario, Tetris Party Deluxe, Zack and Wiki
Arguably one of the best genres that retro games excelled at were longdrawn RPGs and I haven't even started with those....if that's your thing then I've missed off that entire genre here.
Wario Land 3 is a game design gem
Try it with the randomizer romhack
The PS2 version of Shadow of the Colossus still looks great to me.
The 2D Castlevania games still hold up well, except the NES ones for being NES hard. Most of them are available for purchase through collections.
Hulk Ultimate Destruction, nothing else comes close.
Friggin car halves as boxing gloves
the Metal Gear Solid games on the PS1 and PS2 are still wonderful games. The controls may be a bit clunky, coming from modern games, but you get used to it after a while. (There's some things you will have to look up on the internet in MGS1 because they require information from the CD case lol)
I always liked the Megaman X games on the SNES as well.
What about the pressure sensitive buttons from PS2? Those MGS games really needed that feature.
Some emulators should let you assign a button as the pressure modifier, so on the Deck I guess you could assign one of the rear buttons to it and hold that button at the same time as any pressure sensitive input.
I like playing brawlers/beat'em ups. They are really straight forward and don't require any quality of life upgrades.
A lot of PS2 games have busted PC ports or ports with invasive EULAs. PS2 is still probably the best way to play GTA: San Andreas.
But really, just pick a console with a graphical aesthetic you like and find the games people buzz about. I'll give you some recommendations, based mainly on my taste, but a quick "(console) best games" search can help you expand upon this.
NES: Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, Super Mario Bros 3, Kirby's Adventure, Castlevania, Mega Man 2, Contra
Genesis/Mega Drive: Streets of Rage 2, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Road Rash, Sonic 2, Contra Hard Corps
SNES: NBA Jam: Championship Edition, Mega Man X, Star Fox 2
PS1: Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, Crash Team Racing, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Metal Gear Solid
N64: Super Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Mario Kart 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Dreamcast: Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, SoulCalibur
PS2: GTA San Andreas, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, Tony Hawk's Underground 2, Resident Evil 4, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3, Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, Sly Cooper (entire series)
GameCube: Super Mario Sunshine, Mario Kart Double Dash, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros Melee, SoulCalibur II
Xbox: Halo, Halo 2, Fable: The Lost Chapters
That's a decent start, but not comprehensive by any means. Just pick a console with games you like the look of and search the top-rated games, the cream really rises to the top when you're looking for retro games.
You just gonna forget all about the Saturn?
Great console. Never going to recommend it to an emulation beginner. Honestly, it was a stretch to even recommend N64 games. Emulation for those are all wack as well.
I've been playing Gravity Rush from the PS Vita. I went in blind and have been enjoying it so far. I can't get motion controls to work, but that hasn't stopped me yet.
SSX Tricky, Mercenaries, Katamari Damacy, FIFA Street, the various Mario Kart games.
Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
I was worried that I was just nostalgic but its honestly a straight up blast to play. If they remastered it I would b e so excited. One of the best superhero games I've ever played.
Intelligent Qube (PS1)
I enjoyed that game. Not sure how it was ever pushed out as a full release rather than a Net Yaroze style special, but fair play to them.
Kurushi (as it was known in the UK and Europe) is like rocking horse shit now. A nice little treasure if you find one in your collection.
If you count DOSBox as emulation (what it definitely is - unlike WINE it actually emulates an x86 PC and peripherals):
- The Settlers 2: This is a timeless classic. The graphics are 2D, but they still look OK today.
- Albion: A Science Fiction and Fantasy RPG (yes, it has both, and that'a a key point of the story). The gameplay itself isn't that great, but the lore, story and the graphics are amazing.
I've played both on the Deck, and they both work great. (Btw: I did not use Settlers 2 as an example for my DOSBox setup guide by chance. I picked it because it is an amazing game and still fun nowadays.)
I play through Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2 at least once a year. It is largely nostalgia for me, but goddamn those games are fantastic.
3 is much less so, unfortunately.
Yoshi's Island is also worth diving into. One of the best 2D Platformers ever made.
dkc2 is peak platforming and music
I was playing shadowrun genesis again awhile back. It actually used the pen and paper rules from the time and was pretty neat considering. its like how the text based rogue likes are still fun. does have a few annoying bugs though.
That game shaped my gaming life in a thousand ways. It still stands as one of my most memorable experiences.
I don't know if the emulation is the problem or not, but I've tried replaying it on multiple Genesis Emulators and found it almost impossible due to something imperceptible that makes firing the gun just a millisecond too late after pushing the button. And the group you're fighting moving just slightly faster than you. Combining to result in very quickly getting beaten to death in your very first encounter with gangers.
I've tried multiple settings on multiple emulators and I can't solve it.
That really depends on your definition of "holds up".
For example, to me the original Final Fantasy VII is still a better game than the remake because what was a well thought out RPG combat system got turned into just another button mashing combat experience with a Final Fantasy VII wallpaper applied to it.
Is the remake better graphically? sure. Does that matter to you? Than yeah...the original isn't going to hold up for you. But if you prefer the classic design from those times, the game holds up great from a gameplay/story/character perspective. And I personally would take it over whatever mash-fest modern games use for combat systems.
I personally think smaller scale 2000s collect-a-thon games like Ty the Tasmanian Tiger hold up pretty well. Never knew that specific series existed until maybe a year or two ago and I gotta say, it's pretty good and runs real smooth on Dolphin on my Steam Deck ( and coincidentally better than the legitimate PS2 copy I have ).
I personally also think the PS2 Star Wars Battlefront games still hold up well enough. Love the lack of monetization and lack of online play because I hate competitive play as a more casual player.
Those games are definitely pass my recommendation checklist due to the amount/quality of content, and/or replayability level.
Another couple games that pass that checklist would be Final Fantasy X ( I never finished it, but had been enjoying it all the way ) and Sly Cooper 1 ( due to the time trials for each non-boss level adding a good amount of challenge and length ). Both on PS2.
Sensible World of Soccer on the Amiga
Metal Gear Solid 1-3