Games that HAVE aged well

I have to agree on that. In terms of everything but graphics, the 3rd Crash could easily pass as a game made nowadays, though not a big budget one.

edited 3rd Nov '12 8:52:44 AM by burnpsy

Heck yeah.

This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...

Graphically, of course, most of the earlier Wing Commander games don't compare so hot to today's graphics, but damn if they still aren't fun to play. Prophecy and Secret Ops, with the hi-def Game Mod applied, still look pretty, IMO.

(Though, I suppose with the space combat sim genre dropping in the toilet since the end of the previous century, it's not like there's been much competition... )

+1 on Master of Orion, both 1 and 2 (of the third game we shall not speak). While their graphics have been surpassed by later works (particularly the first one), it's still trivially easy to get sucked into a multi-hour session and only later realize "aw, shit, I gotta get up for work in a few hours".

edited 3rd Nov '12 9:02:02 AM by Nohbody

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In terms of graphics and gameplay, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil is still a rare gem.

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Another game for this: As Chrono Trigger is already mentioned here, Chrono Cross. Aside from having a good soundtrack, I really liked the gameplay mechanics as well (such as the anti-grinding system which effectively only levels up after a boss encounter).

edited 3rd Nov '12 9:44:06 AM by EarlOfSandvich

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As much as I hate the way of seeing a game as an aging thing (as I stated in the other thread), let's just say that some games still have no equal:

• Metal Gear Solid 3
• Star Fox 64
• Super Smash Bros. Melee (as much as I find Brawl an improvement, Melee is still unique and stands on its own)
• the Donkey Kong Country series
• Super Metroid
• Kirby's Adventure
• Let's put Kirby Super Star and Kirby 64 there too
• IMO, Pokémon Yellow

EDIT:

• And I dared to forget Banjo-Kazooie
• And Super Mario 64

edited 3rd Nov '12 9:42:27 AM by NEO

No regret shall pass over the threshold!

I still like the first Civilization on SNES, but that's mostly because I had almost no access to computer games at the time. It's playable with a standard gamepad, though having a SNES mouse helps. Civ 2 on computers seems to be more complex and challenging, and a better overall experience. I think it's aged well because the game is easy to install and reinstall — no need to activate the game, or to login online. (I can't recommend Civ 2 on Playstation.)

Uncharted Waters: New Horizons is another strategy-simulation game from the 90s that I think has aged well. The SNES version is a little better than the Genesis version (more controller buttons for commands, slight differences in graphics and sounds). It's possible to play this game in a linear fashion, as all six characters have a story with a beginning and an ending. At least half the characters can just wander around trading goods, discover villages and make money from them, and possibly earn fame from mapping the world. This results in an average ending, but I think the non-linear gameplay is its own reward.

edited 3rd Nov '12 5:30:18 PM by dorkatlarge

I've also got to nth that Freelancer is still AWESOME.

Seconding Civilization 2. I still have urges to fire that game up from time to time. Also seconding the first Master Of Orion (I still have yet to play the second one) and Sid Meiers Alpha Centauri for much the same reasons.

Elite, particularly through its Oolite port, would be a good candidate in my books as well. Probably helped by the fact that it's open-ended, and in the case of the latter that it has an active modding and worldbuilding community.

Also casting my vote for Dungeon Keeper 2. I came into it fairly late compared to some, but it's quite addictive, and I don't think there are any dungeon-management games that quite capture the same flavor.

Some of the older Ace Combat games, especially 5 and Zero.

Star Control II, bitches.

edited 3rd Nov '12 6:30:52 PM by VeniVidiPony

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I think Chrono Trigger and Street Fighter II have aged very well. They're still fun.

I never owned the third Crash Bandicoot game, but I played it on a demo several years ago, and was amazed at how good it still looked, compared to how wonky most PS 1 games looked!

I liked it better when Questionable Casting was called WTH Casting Agency

The original Far Cry for PC.

Personally, I think the trope that refers to "aging" is Seinfeld Is Unfunny. Many Video Games have fallen victim to SIU.

Still, I believe Beyond Good And Evil has aged well. The gameplay gives the feeling of being able to appeal to multiple video game groups, and I should know, since I've played it.

I'll admit that it doesn't get a lot of love, but that's probably why it aged well...because nobody has the incentive to copy the game to death!

Oh, Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!

If it's a matter of simply not possessing a copy of MoO2, GoG has both 1 and 2 available, for US$5.99 total.

Master of Orion 1 + 2

edited 4th Nov '12 8:00:25 AM by Nohbody

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Ufouria. Although it's an old NES Metroidvania, it has tight controls (well, aside from one small quirk), clever, creative level design, bright sprites, great music, and it actually has a map, unlike other early M Vs.

And I think Earthbound is still a mighty solid RPG. The writing in particular. In an era when game writing was often awkwardly translated and there wasn't a lot of space to work with for text, EB still has a really nice script that's still funny.

"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugada

I don't think its really Seinfeld Is Unfunny, at least not usually. If a game ages poorly, its because:

1. The user interface was decent for its time, but out of date by modern standards. When you *know* there are better ways to do controls, its harder to tolerate poor ones.

2. Graphics that were technically advanced but ugly. At the time you are wow-ed by technical wizardry, but once that is no longer relevant, they just don't look good.

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I second Earthbound. As previously stated, the script is pretty witty and had a nice translation for the time.

Pretty much any Final Fantasy I play makes me feel the same way. Well, there are some issues with the translation but the story and gameplay of each are pretty good.

"I'm afraid I just blue myself" - Tobias Funke

MOTHER 3

I drink 17 cups of coffee in court.

SF 3 3rd Strike is still awedropping in its animations even today. And the gameplay is still among the best of fighters.

SF 2 really? I think it's aged pretty badly. Samsho 2 aged much better. JKKBA Heritage for the Future aged well too, even if the graphics are kind of ugly by today's standards. Soul Calibur 1 is another fighting game that still shines.

Gunstar Heroes : Doesn't matter how much you have played it, it's still a challenge on expert. And don't get me started on a Beam Sword run and facing Seven Force. It's not easy.

Crash 2 and 3

The Strike series, but for me, Soviet and Nuclear Strike. Played Nuclear Strike to death as a kid, still do. Heck I remember a crap ton of secrets from an old strategy guide that have yet to show up on the internet. And that's a little hard to believe.

Armored Core 1 and 2 Still one of the best meching games I have ever played.

Twisted Metal 2 and 3

Vigilante 8

Last for now Tomba! Thank goodness that's on the PSN now.

Hyped for Hyperdimension Neptunia V 2

In my opinion, I think the only thing that really ages about games is the graphics, save for a select few (like Sonic). If the fun is still there, it doesn't really age.

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That. Although I have heard people saying it ages horribly because they cant even get past the first few opponents on easy

I drink 17 cups of coffee in court.

Well, there are game mechanics in some games that will instantly let you know when it was made, because everyone was doing X mechanic in 199X or whatever.

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Debatable. Parries have a hatedom for their negative effect on the spacing game, and the extreme character disparity (even compared to other fighting games) means that Chun, Yun, and Ken are still going to be the only characters at the top of every tournament.

Then again, people debate gameplay quality in fighters all the time. Marvel vs Capcom 2 has some of the worst competitive balance of any fighting game and is commonly regarded as trash by the Japanese, but the USA loves it.

edited 7th Nov '12 12:13:50 AM by Scardoll

Fight. Struggle. Endure. Suffer. LIVE.

Warzone 2100 is a good example of what the topic is about, I think. And it is available as freeware, no questions asked from here:

http://wz2100.net/

Even better, it is the game's official site so there are no nasty piracy issues to deal with. Trope page here:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Warzone2100