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[Punished Miku]

Returnal; you don't even have to beat it to appreciate it's masterful gameplay.

I guess thats good because most people wont.

 

[CamHostage]

One of the original answers to the question, "Can a videogame make you cry?", The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a must-play-through IMO for a few reasons.

One reason is, you can play through it; this game is Game Boy-length (although it's a significantly-sized quest for its time and its hardware) and everything about it is carefully balanced to make sure most players can finish it if you put your mind to it. Two, it teaches you a lot about game design through its meticulously crafted levels and puzzles (which have to avoid being broken when new items change your locomotion capabilities,) its continuously world-expanding gameplay mechanics, and its simple but effective context switches for dialog trees (and if you play the Game Boy original, you can see even further how they managed to squeeze out of massively-restricted hardware a complex and visually pleasing action-adventure.) Three, it's charming and fun! And four, that ending can really tug at your heartstrings if you have been properly connected to this world and these characters, and unless your soul is dark and impenetrable, you should be able to find yourself in here.

I haven't played the Switch remake yet, but it's a surprisingly faithful remake (they managed to make the world look rich and feel big while still generally adhering to the original GB maps; it's widescreen yet the layouts of dungeons are somehow preserved) and could be worth checking out even though it does not add new gameplay or content to this almost 30-year-old game. Otherwise, instead of spending $60 on the remake, spend $6 on Link's Awakening DX (with the color upgrade and special additional color puzzles) for 3DS... or just get however you get old games these days. IMO, this is the Zelda game all gamers should start with; the NES original hold up in many ways but can be clunky and obtuse to play these days (it was in its own time too, but gamers put up with a lot more back then, plus they had Nintendo Power whenever they got stuck,) its sequel is an intriguing aberration but not a wholescale place to start, and as good as all-timers like Zelda: A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild obviously are, Link's Awakening is a distillation and perfect capsule of what this franchise is and means to gamers.

 

[R6Rider]

Mirror's Edge

 

[tommib]

Elden Ring

 

[ahtlas7]

Even the cover, in 3 colors, has a stronger story than most games could wish to have.

 

[ahtlas7]

...aaaand one page later we basically have every single game ever released in here. What does that tell us?

Neogaf loves too much

 

[Banjo64]

Ocarina of Time
Banjo Kazooie
Mario 64
GTA Vice City
TES V Skyrim
The Last of Us
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt
TLoZ Breath of the Wild

 

[brettski2024]

Behold the only reasonable answers

1. Link to the Past
2. Super Metroid
3. Final Fantasy 6
4. Final Fantasy 7
5. Banjo Kazooie
6. Metal Gear Solid
7. EarthBound
8. Chrono Trigger
9. Super Mario 64
10. Ocarina of Time
11. Dragon Quest Builders 1
12. Uncharted Series
13. Donkey Kong Country 1
14. Persona 4 Golden
15. Stardew Valley

 

[bender]

Even the cover, in 3 colors, has a stronger story than most games could wish to have.

That cover only features one color.

 

[ThatPolishGuy]

I was just thinking about original Thief Trilogy also Dishonored 1 is up there for me. Amazing games tbh.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a must also.

Now that Embracer Group has bought Thief IP, maybe we will get a proper Thief game, not the mess that was the 2014 remake.

 

[manfestival]

Anthem

 

[hemo memo]

Persona Golden

 

[Gone]

 

[MidGenRefresh]

 

[TintoConCasera]

DOOM (1993) and Zelda ALTTP.

 

[Filben]

Ori: Will of the Wisps

It's such a wonderful and brilliant game from start to finish. Great storytelling, amazing soundtrack and flowy gameplay. It's perfect.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Chrono Trigger

One of the original answers to the question, "Can a videogame make you cry?", The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a must-play-through IMO for a few reasons.

One reason is, you can play through it; this game is Game Boy-length (although it's a significantly-sized quest for its time and its hardware) and everything about it is carefully balanced to make sure most players can finish it if you put your mind to it. Two, it teaches you a lot about game design through its meticulously crafted levels and puzzles (which have to avoid being broken when new items change your locomotion capabilities,) its continuously world-expanding gameplay mechanics, and its simple but effective context switches for dialog trees (and if you play the Game Boy original, you can see even further how they managed to squeeze out of massively-restricted hardware a complex and visually pleasing action-adventure.) Three, it's charming and fun! And four, that ending can really tug at your heartstrings if you have been properly connected to this world and these characters, and unless your soul is dark and impenetrable, you should be able to find yourself in here.

I haven't played the Switch remake yet, but it's a surprisingly faithful remake (they managed to make the world look rich and feel big while still generally adhering to the original GB maps; it's widescreen yet the layouts of dungeons are somehow preserved) and could be worth checking out even though it does not add new gameplay or content to this almost 30-year-old game. Otherwise, instead of spending $60 on the remake, spend $6 on Link's Awakening DX (with the color upgrade and special additional color puzzles) for 3DS... or just get however you get old games these days. IMO, this is the Zelda game all gamers should start with; the NES original hold up in many ways but can be clunky and obtuse to play these days (it was in its own time too, but gamers put up with a lot more back then, plus they had Nintendo Power whenever they got stuck,) its sequel is an intriguing aberration but not a wholescale place to start, and as good as all-timers like Zelda: A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild obviously are, Link's Awakening is a distillation and perfect capsule of what this franchise is and means to gamers.

See folks, this is what this thread is about.
Seeing so many movie-games from the last <10 years getting a mention is depressing, but I guess it’s the price of getting old.

I think Super Mario Galaxy deserves a mention.

 

[killatopak]

RE4

 

[Represent.]

See folks, this is what this thread is about.
Seeing so many movie-games from the last <10 years getting a mention is depressing, but I guess it’s the price of getting old.

I think Super Mario Galaxy deserves a mention.

The medium has evolved and those older games are simply unplayable now. Who the fuck wants to play GTA 2 over Red Dead 2?

Video games arent like movies, they dont age like wine. They become unplayable and outdated.

 

[tommib]

The medium has evolved and those older games are simply unplayable now. Who the fuck wants to play GTA 2 over Red Dead 2?

Video games arent like movies, they dont age like wine. They become unplayable and outdated.

 

[Pejo]

The medium has evolved and those older games are simply unplayable now. Who the fuck wants to play GTA 2 over Red Dead 2?

Video games arent like movies, they dont age like wine. They become unplayable and outdated.

 

[Bonfires Down]

Just listing my favirite games would be boring, so I'm going to take the everyone in the title literally and recommend games that are great and have accessible controls and are in a popular genre and aren't too difficult.

With those requirements I'm going to say Super Mario 3D World or Odyssey, along with Breath of the Wild and Witcher 3. TLOU 1+2 are also up there but dual stick aiming and violence is not for everyone.

 

[TintoConCasera]

The medium has evolved and those older games are simply unplayable now. Who the fuck wants to play GTA 2 over Red Dead 2?

Video games arent like movies, they dont age like wine. They become unplayable and outdated.

 

[Sophist]

Minecraft. The most important video game of the previous decade.

 

[ACESHIGH]

I'm ashamed to say I didn't even try it yet! I keep hearing the praise for it, is it good even for people who don't usually play RPGs?

I hate JRPGS but love that game. Worth giving it a try. Played the SNES version via emulator and had a blast. I think the remasters are hit or miss though.

 

[gaming_again]

Super Mario World 1 because then they’ve completed the most video game-y of games.

Dark Souls 1 so they can see the emotional impact and atmosphere games can offer through environmental story telling.

The Witcher 3 as this will demonstrate how you can buy into a strong lead character in a way you can’t really with other media.

 

[Represent.]

Video games rely more on advancing technology than films do. Not many people can honestly sit here and honestly say they can play PS1 games and find them perfectly playable in 2022. But more power to you if you can.

I don't believe you though.

 

[Cutty Flam]

TLoZ: A Link to the Past
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Sunshine
TLoZ: Ocarina of Time
TLoZ: Majora's Mask
TLoZ: The Wind Waker
TLoZ: Link's Awakening
TLoZ: Breath of the Wild
TLoZ: Oracle of Ages
TLoZ: Oracle of Seasons
The Legend of Zelda
Super Mario Bros.
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion 3
Super Mario World
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Paper Mario
Super Mario RPG
Super Mario Bros. 3
Resident Evil Remake
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 4
Shadow of the Colossus
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

 

[Marvel14]

Hey GAF, what are games so good that everyone should beat them at least once in their lifetime? For me, here are a few:

The Wonderful 101 (Wii U original recommended, if you can't get a hold of it then get Remastered)- This game is a masterpiece. It's gameplay immaculate, it's plot sucks you in, along with the music and art style. Is my Game of the 8th Gen.
Sonic 3 and Knuckles- Another masterpiece, it's spectacle for a 2D platformer has to be seen to be believed, and tells it's story masterfully without any dialogue or VA.
Resident Evil 2- Perfect game to introduce people to survival horror.
Megaman X4- Perfect game to introduce Megaman series to.

Those are some of mine...what about you GAF? What are your games that are so good that everyone should beat them at least once in their lifetime?

Sorry no...Wonderful 101 is an acquired taste. Its not for everyone.

Looking across genres I would go with:
- Portal and Portal 2 amazing physics puzzle gameplay and a super clever story arc.
-Super Mario Galaxies - the pinnacle of inventive platforming
- Stardew Valley - brilliant farming sim that you cannot get enough of
- Ring Fit Adventure- best fitness game ever
-Red Dead Redemption- living the cowboy life to the max
- Pikmin 3 - RTS puzzle heaven
- Spiderman - the pinnacle of superhero cos play
- Hollowknight- Metroidvania perfection with a killer soundtrack
- A short hike - simple joys and calm made into a uber gentle rapid getaway.
-

 

[BadBurger]

Final Fantasy Tactics. Any edition. No guides, no cheats. The story has some twists and turns, and it feels like a real accomplishment. And IMO no tactical RPG since has matched its depth when it comes to character/class/job development and variety and how that feeds back into the gameplay. Way ahead of its time, which is probably why few have even attempted to make a spiritual successor.

 

[gaming_again]

One of the original answers to the question, "Can a videogame make you cry?", The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a must-play-through IMO for a few reasons.

One reason is, you can play through it; this game is Game Boy-length (although it's a significantly-sized quest for its time and its hardware) and everything about it is carefully balanced to make sure most players can finish it if you put your mind to it. Two, it teaches you a lot about game design through its meticulously crafted levels and puzzles (which have to avoid being broken when new items change your locomotion capabilities,) its continuously world-expanding gameplay mechanics, and its simple but effective context switches for dialog trees (and if you play the Game Boy original, you can see even further how they managed to squeeze out of massively-restricted hardware a complex and visually pleasing action-adventure.) Three, it's charming and fun! And four, that ending can really tug at your heartstrings if you have been properly connected to this world and these characters, and unless your soul is dark and impenetrable, you should be able to find yourself in here.

I haven't played the Switch remake yet, but it's a surprisingly faithful remake (they managed to make the world look rich and feel big while still generally adhering to the original GB maps; it's widescreen yet the layouts of dungeons are somehow preserved) and could be worth checking out even though it does not add new gameplay or content to this almost 30-year-old game. Otherwise, instead of spending $60 on the remake, spend $6 on Link's Awakening DX (with the color upgrade and special additional color puzzles) for 3DS... or just get however you get old games these days. IMO, this is the Zelda game all gamers should start with; the NES original hold up in many ways but can be clunky and obtuse to play these days (it was in its own time too, but gamers put up with a lot more back then, plus they had Nintendo Power whenever they got stuck,) its sequel is an intriguing aberration but not a wholescale place to start, and as good as all-timers like Zelda: A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild obviously are, Link's Awakening is a distillation and perfect capsule of what this franchise is and means to gamers.

Despite it dropping out of my top five it’s probably the game I’ve finished the most times. My brother and I used to have speed run competitions lol. Happy days.

And yes, it was such a sad game, so ephemeral. Marin… I’m so sorry.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

Nier automata

I just started playing this on Switch. I stopped playing it right after beating the Prologue last night. It was so epic I almost just want to stop for good, I feel like the rest of the game is probably going to disappoint now. haha

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

step 1. be a little kid.
step 2. have no home consoles that do 3d.
step 3. get super mario 64 for christmas then beat it.

 

[tusharngf]

castlevania symphony of the night

 

[CamHostage]

The medium has evolved and those older games are simply unplayable now. Who the fuck wants to play GTA 2 over Red Dead 2?

Video games arent like movies, they dont age like wine. They become unplayable and outdated.

The wow-factor of video games fades over time, sure. (Albeit one might say the same about movies; Titanic was on cable the other night, and I was kind of surprised how out-of-date that looks despite so much of it having been done practical instead of CGI; also, try sitting your kids down in front of Animal House or Tootsie after explaining to them that these are all-time comedy classics, see how much fun that movie night is?), and if that's what you're coming at a game for, it can be hard to overcome. RDR1 is IMO a more enjoyable game than RDR2, but it sure doesn't look like RDR2 and that's a deterrence on a big-screen TV...

Gameplay, though, is gameplay.

Your tastes may age, your craving for complication or presentation may make you jaded, but a great videogame stands the test of time and indeed ages like wine if it is truly great. Sometimes it takes being in the right frame of reference to really connect with a game again (for instance, I'd probably never play Pac-Man or an old beat-em-up like The Simpsons at home if I had it on my console but it's real easy to drop a quarter in if an arcade machine is at a bar I'm hanging out at with friends; similarly, don't play Link's Awakening DX on a PC with a big-screen emulator, you should play it on a 3DS or GB or a phone or something small and personal and un-consuming.) And, as with movies and music and everything else, many of the games you thought were great have showed themselves to be products of their times or phenomenons that only worked when you didn't know better, and they have expired over time; sometimes, your memories are better than the reality of what you played. (Some eras of games have been particularly rough, with PS1 being really rough to return to despite its stunning software sales at the time.) But in a lot of cases, what's there is worth appreciating, and particularly as certain game genres or franchises or play mechanics have fallen out of fashion or just been forgotten about, sometimes the old games offer a quality or a challenge that you can't get from anything new on the market.

(BTW, wine does spoil, so the term "age like wine" only works if a wine has been made right to age over time. Fine wines can last 100 years on a shelf, while 98% of the rest of wine should be drank and enjoyed in their time, as eventually they will become, as one would say, undrinkable and outdated.)

Who the fuck would want to play GTA2 over Red Dead 2, I don't know? But the fuck of everybody seemed to have wanted to play GTA3/VC/SA when the trilogy was remastered (despite the remaster issues) and the Definitive Edition Trilogy moved 10 million copies amidst huge competition and tons of available legacy software, including RDR2, in 2021. Not all GTAs are made the same...

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

TWD season 1 is one of the most accessible stories and easiest to play game out there. It’s a game I can literally recommend to anyone out side of kids.

 

[MiguelItUp]

Silent Hill 2
Resident Evil Remake
Resident Evil Remake 2
Resident Evil 4
Metal Gear Solid
Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption 2
Super Metroid
Star Fox
Star Fox 64
Super Mario 64
Bioshock
Twisted Metal
Twisted Metal Black
DOOM 2
DOOM (2016)
Quake
Alien Isolation
Dead Space
Dead Space 2

So many more, but this is all that's coming to mind ATM.

 

[fart town usa]

RE 1-3 OG versions
REmake 1 & 2.
RE4
Super Mario World
Panzer Dragoon Trilogy on the Saturn
Elden Ring (co-op)

edit- Zelda: OOT or Twilight Princess even. RE6 co-op, one of the most highly polished train wrecks in history.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

I just started playing this on Switch. I stopped playing it right after beating the Prologue last night. It was so epic I almost just want to stop for good, I feel like the rest of the game is probably going to disappoint now. haha

Don't worry, even the final credits roll doesn't disappoint

 

[Lameshot]

Ghosts n goblins

 

[OZ9000]

The medium has evolved and those older games are simply unplayable now. Who the fuck wants to play GTA 2 over Red Dead 2?

Video games arent like movies, they dont age like wine. They become unplayable and outdated.

Graphically it looks like garbage but MGS1 is still a masterpiece.

I think many good titles from the PS2 era and onwards are playable, especially if they've been ported to the PS3 (eg God of war 1 and 2)

 

[ReBurn]

The best games are the ones you can't finish.

 

[EDMIX]

The Last Of Us 2

 

[rofif]

The Last Of Us 2

This is the answer.
And people are posting these early nes games that realistically no new gamer is going to play
I never played any Zelda and I am fine. I was a pc guy in the 90s so if we play like that I should say duke nukem 3d

 

[rofif]

This is the best Prince game and one of best metroidvanias ever.
The combat is fantastic.
The music is great and the somber atmosphere of unavoidable destiny…. Man I need to replay this.
The whole trilogy is amazing but this entry stands by itself.
It needs modern port as it’s weird to run

 

[Josemayuste]

 

[rofif]

I’ve played the forgotten city over this with my time back then.
Is this Really so good? The forgotten city is amazing btw

 

[TintoConCasera]

This is the answer.

No.

And people are posting these early nes games that realistically no new gamer is going to play

New gamers are little kids and little kids are cringe.

I never played any Zelda and I am fine.

No, you aren't.

I was a pc guy in the 90s

I'm sill doubting to this day.

so if we play like that I should say duke nukem 3d

Okay, based. But Blood is better.

 

[Fuz]

The Secret of Monkey Island, of course.

 

[vodka-bull]

...aaaand one page later we basically have every single game ever released in here. What does that tell us?

They‘re all beautiful snowflakes.