Games that never get old.

[BHvrd]

I was thinking today of what my favorite games of all time are, but there are games that I play that are staples, not necessarily "the best". Games I always come back to and it's like a familiar friend, a long lost buddy. Games I can never get enough of.

I have many games I consider staples in gaming, but few I have logged nearly as many hours in as others, so I decided to boil it down to time invested over the years.

It turns out in my gaming life I have invested and returned to "Phantasy Star Online, which is offline also :p" more times than any other game, even Pokemon or Goldeneye 007 which are close runner-ups.

I owned the Dreamcast, Xbox, and Gamecube versions. I only play the Gamecube version now, and still play split screen with my buddies, and still love it.

I've logged well over thousands of hours on it over all 3 systems, and I find it amazing that I still love this game.

[boatofcar]

The Addams Family for SNES. I never get tired of running through that game.

[Apollo]

For me, TMNT 2 for the NES and Vanguard for the 2600

[Juganawt]

Man, there are so many games that I keep going back to.

Doom. I must have completed it on every difficulty on every system it's been released on. I adore Doom. The graphic style, the superlative level design, the urge to complete it faster with more kills each time you play... Once you've played doom once, it stays with you forever. It's a timeless classic, and I know I will never, ever tire of it.

Tempest X3. I loved the original arcade game, I played it to death. Then I got a Jaguar just to play Tempest 2000 and it was absolutely phenominal, and then came Tempest X3 on PS1...and quickly rose to the #1 spot of arcade shmups. Tempest X3 is a masterpiece, but it's often overlooked in the top 100 lists I see cropping up everywhere. It's fast, furious, beautiful, hypnotic, trippy, and just generally kicks ass! The best Shmup in existence, and one I still play to this day - it works especially well on PSP. It's the perfect game to play on the toilet.

Quake 3 Arena. I played it as a pro, and practiced for at least 5 hours a day, every day, for 2 years... and I loved every second of it. I then broke out the Dreamcast version to master the new levels, and loved every second of that too....then came Team Arena, so I mastered it some more. Q3A could well be the defining moment of online gaming for me, and I can't wait for the XBLA version.

Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe. Ice Cream! Ice Cream! One of only 2 future sports games that actually worked (the other being DeathRow on the Xbox1), Speedball 2 had simple play mechanics, beautiful presentation, crisp sound, and gameplay by the bucketload. How they ever managed to cram this into a 720k Floppy Diskette simply boggles the mind. The game is close to 20 years old, and I still play it with frightening frequency. Mixing strategy with violence seems to work a treat!

International Karate +. 3 Player fighting in the 80's, laced with humourous undertones. Archer Maclean made a title that was truly ahead of it's time. The interplay between 3 fighters on screen vying for points means that even though the fighting moves were simplistic and limited, the game never felt limiting at all. Even though the moves were just pulled off with a single button and joystick, controlling the fighter was so easy it became second nature. Add in the fact you could change game speed (about 4 years before SF2 Turbo did), and type in random stuff to get strange (and hilarious) effects to the game (try pressing T in a match, run your fingers across the number keys, or type in a swearword to see what I mean) to the background of awesome music and sound effects (you have to love the sound that punching someone in the gut gives off.. AwwoOOOOwwooo!) and you get a game that never gets old. I adore IK+.

NiGHTS Into Dreams. Another game that never gets old. It's a mixture of beauty and grace. The graphics were phenominal, and the feeling of flying gives a euphoric sensation that radiates through me as I glide through the rings and boss battles. NiGHTS is a work of art, and nothing could ever replace this game. I'm concerned about the sequel... I don't want it to ruin the fantastic memories and feelings I get when I play this on my Saturn. One of the greatest games of all time.

Elite / Frontier: Elite II. A game I'll never complete. It's just such an immense world that no matter how long you play, there's always a new mission or planet to explore. These games were WAY ahead of their times, and providing my hardware still works, I'll be playing them when I'm old and grey.

Warzone 2100. My favourite RTS. The graphics still hold up fairly well today (7 years later), and the gameplay is fantastic. The customisable units really do it for me. Being able to add tank tracks or wheels depending on terrain really adds a new layer of strategy to the proceedings. It's such a shame Pumpkin Studios went belly up before they finished the sequel.

Virtua Fighter Series. The single reason why I bought a Saturn, and one of only 2 fighting game series I took the time to really learn off-by-heart. I spent about £200 on the arcade version in 1993, and when I heard it was coming to the Saturn, I saved up my money for it. For the past 14 years I have played this till I could memorise every single one of the thousands of moves for each and every character, every counter, every combo, every difference between the versions. I'd like to say I've mastered it, but the joy of this game to me is knowing that somewhere out there, I could fight a new challenger, and learn a different way to own. It's timeless, and the most deep, engaging fighting game ever released. Can't wait till the 360 version hits so I can play the Japanese pros online.

Street Fighter Series. the 2nd fighting game series I'd like to think I've mastered. I remember playing SF1 on the Amiga in 1987 (I think) and thinking how exciting it was, but I only ever played it single player as we only had one joystick... then SF2 hit the arcade and it blew my mind. Now 20 years later I own every single Street Fighter game in existence on every single format - including the ZX spectrum version of SF2, the Hong Kong pirates on Gameboy, and the arcade boards. It's simply beautiful. When played right, SF games are like real martial art - poetry in motion, which is as enjoyable to watch as it is to play. It's as strategical as chess, and the characters seem to dance across the screen in a way which no other game has matched. Street Fighter is timeless, and I will ALWAYS have love in my heart for it. It was my parental figure in my childhood, my obsession, my passion. I'm part of the Street Fighter Generation. I grew up with it, and it will always be a part of me, and a part of my regular playlist.

[thetoxicone]

A lot of atari 2600 games fit that bill for me, including Circus Atari and many of the activision titles like Megamania, Seaquest, Stampede and Kaboom.

on n64, rush 2 and blast corps both get a lot of play from me

[Bigjobs]

I've always been the type of gamer to take one game at a time and destroy it. My fallbacks include great titles like Road Rash 2 for the Genesis. I could play that in my sleep. If I'm in the mood for a little competition, I'll give you a run for your money in any Worms title, and accept a beating from you in almost any 2D fighter...I would have to say Capcom Vs Snk 2 is my default.

[j_factor]

NiGHTS, definitely. That game can be played over and over and over. I usually go a long period of time without playing it, and then when I come back to it, I find that I'm not as good as I was, so I devote some time to re-mastering it. Then I move on to other games, and the cycle repeats.

Robotron 2084 is another one, but most versions lose it. I particularly like it on the Gamecube version of Midway Arcade Treasures (8-way notched sticks). Second best after the arcade.

[boatofcar]

Elite / Frontier: Elite II. A game I'll never complete. It's just such an immense world that no matter how long you play, there's always a new mission or planet to explore. These games were WAY ahead of their times, and providing my hardware still works, I'll be playing them when I'm old and grey.



For a game that was so successful, why do you think it's never been released on a compilation? I've read about this game a bunch but never had a chance to play it.

[SaturnFan]

WWF No Mercy will never get old. Donkey Kong Country will never get old. House of the Dead 1 will never get old.

[RPG_Fanatic]

I would have to say M.U.S.H.A. for the Genesis it's the best shump ever made, every time i play through it i think this game still rocks!!!!!!!!

[Trebuken]

Gauntlet
Galaga
Tetris
Asteriods
Ms. PacMan

some obvious ones for me.

[Mobius]

I think the game that I've kept going back to the most over the last 10 years has been WaveRace 64. It's a virtually perfect game as far as I'm concerned, and fun every time.

On the SNES, Tetris Attack.

Going back to the NES, I've always had a soft spot for Rad Racer. Marble Madness and the original Castlevania get honorable mentions.

Strangely, this list is entirely for Nintendo systems. Hm.

[bangtango]

Mega Man II is always a joy to play through. Even if you have a lopsided weapon advantage, battling each robot is as exciting as any fighting game I've ever played. My favorite part of the game, a part that never gets old, is when you are in the chamber near the end and fight all eight robots one after one. That particular section always gives me a real rush.

[Clong]

Games that I can play over and over and OVER again and again. Are Dr. Mario (NES), Boogerman (Gen), Mario 64 (n64), Tetris (NES), Donkey Kong Country 1,2,3, (SNES), and Super Mario World 1 and 2 (SNES). I have fond memories of all of these games and I've beaten them all more times then I can remember.

[ssjlance]

I still play Gunstar Heroes all the time. That game never gets old, especially as a two player. I love Ikaruga, it's timeless. DooM is a constant. Still play Super Mario World alot (my first Mario game ever). I have run through Zelda Ocarina of Time many many times and I've been thinking about doing it again. I expect Twilight Princess to be the same way, although I've only beaten it once so far. Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat 2 are both amazing fighters.

But the game I can always play is Galaga. It is the first game I was ever any good at and I can play it all day if I have nothing else to do. Pure classic arcade action.

[rcgamer]

Tony Hawks pro skater 2. I have never got into any other of the series but for some reason this game is still fun as hell. I have been playing the heck out of it on my dreamcast lately.

[G-Boobie]

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind on PC Xbox. I've put nearly 200 hours into single characters before...Oblivion was good, but it didn't capture the most important thing about the games that came before it; a sense of gravity and history to the world you're playing in. Everytime I boot that game up I find something new and interesting to see, and something fun and challenging to do(and fetch quests if everything else looks dull).

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is another game that I'll pop in the PSX once every couple of months; this is one of the top ten games ever made. I still havent gotten every drop item or found every secret(this is also one game I've never allowed myself to look at a FAQ for...Its the game I play when nothing else sounds good.

[8Ways2Tuesday]

If I don't know what I want to play, I play Disgaea. There's something comforting about creating ridiculously overpowered characters and conquering Earth accidentally that doesn't get old to me.

[exit]

Off the top of my head..

Tetris
Maniac Mansion
Code Name: Viper
Jackal
The Simpsons (Arcade)
TMNT2: The Arcade Game (Arcade and NES)
Metal Slug 2

[AMG]

These are some game I can pick up at anytime, "like old friends" as you say.

Doom series
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Xbox)
Mortal Kombat 2 (SNES)
Asteroids (Atari 2600)
Puch-Out!! series
Tekken 3
Street Fighter II: Turbo (SNES)

[walrusmonger]

Phantasy Star Online- I put over 1000 hours into the Dreamcast/Gamecube versions and another 100 into the (crappy) 360 version (maybe it got better?)

Guitar Hero- I'm in love with the series, and although I can't tolerate some songs, I can always pop it in to play some of my favorites.

Castlevania 1, 3, Rondo of Blood- These games, holy shit, I can play these CV games at least once a day and not get tired of them. Especially the first one, that is soo good.

Marvel vs Capcom 2- I know it's unblanced, but it's just a blast to play, especially with peeople who school you so you try to get better.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Gauntlet
Galaga
DOOM series
Silent Hill 1 & 2
CastleVania Bloodlines
Super CastleVania 4
Return to Castle Wolfenstien
Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Capcom Vs. SNK 2
Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Super Metroid
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Would be sweet if this one got a remake)
Samurai Shodown II
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1)
Resident Evil (original or remake)
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 4

[Cobra Commander]

Wizards and Warriors on the NES. I must have played that game 1,000 times since I bought it. Something about it just draws me in. I think part of it is the great music.

[djsquarewave]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles

I've played through this game literally dozens of times. Hell, right now I have eight 100% complete saves on my cart -- two for each character choice.

Doesn't hurt that it's my single favorite game of all time. :)

[Gandhara]

CENTIPEDE!!!

Asteroids Deluxe

The 80's Pacman games

Every 2d Sonic game

All Compile shooters including Guardian Legend.

Konami shooters like Gradius, LF, Parodius Da!, Space Manbow

[BHvrd]

Wizards and Warriors on the NES. I must have played that game 1,000 times since I bought it. Something about it just draws me in. I think part of it is the great music.

I have to agree here. I'm also drawn to this game like a moth to the flame.

Dum, dum dum, dum, dum, dum dum.

[PentiumMMX]

Some of mire are:

- Diddy Kong Racing (I've completed it multiple times, but I still come back to it ever so often to race on my favorate tracks)

- Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Just love it...)

- Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (The 'Beta Quest' Gameshark code is fun to play around with, and the main game is still good)

- Sonic 3 & Knuckles (I can beat this over and over, and still come back to it)

[heybtbm]

I would have to say most online shooters never get old. The human element keeps them fresh and unpredictable.

As far as standard one player games...even my favorites get old after awhile. A good example is Castlevania: SOTN. Even though it's my favorite game of all time, I really have no desire to play through it right at this moment. I will sometime in the future, but I need to give it rest for the time being. Same thing goes for all my favorites now that I'm thinking about it.

[Sanriostar]

Most any big hit Arcade game up to 1983, Super Smash Bros Melee, Star Control 2/Ur-Quan Masters, Super Metroid, Worms Armageddon/World Party, Jumpman, Diner, Archon 1&2, Shamus Case 2... I prefer the 'Old Suits'.

[ssjlance]

Puch-Out!! series


Haha, I knew you were going to say that as soon as I saw you're avatar. My dad owned the game when he was around my age and he told me about how hard Mike Tyson was. I remember getting the shit beaten out of me by Great Tiger the first time I played. But, I am proud to say that I am the only member of my family who has defeated Mike Tyson without a Game Genie. And Super Punch-Out was fun, too.

[Overbite]

Doom never gets old, I have it for almost every system it was released on

[DarthKur]

Pretty much any game put out by Atarisoft in the early to mid 80's.

[CreamSoda]

THPS1 through 3(Any version)

I can play these games over and over again, and never get tired of them. THPS2 being the most played.

PSO v2(DC)

This game was worse then a drug for me, I spent countless hours on multiple characters over the years. If only you could still play online, and play with alot of people. The 360 sequel was a huge dissapointment!

Jet Grind Radio(DC)

I have played through the entire game probably over 20 times, and I still enjoy playing through every so often.

Shenmue(DC)

The one adventure game that doesn't bore me, even after many playthroughs. Shenmue is more then just a game, it's an expieriance!

SSB:M(GC)

This is the sole reason I bought a GameCube!

Worms: Armageddon(DC/PC/N64/PSX)

The most addicting game I have ever played! It's a shame the 3D versions couldn't compare.

[Hwj_Chim]

The King of fighters and the Metal Slug games. Great games, I just can't stop playing them.

[sabre2922]

Hate to admit it but I still play just about every version of Streetfighter 2 a couple times a month.

I have:

Streetfighter collection -PS2 - Streetfighter 3:third strike/Streetfighter 2 anniversary edition.

Capcom classics vol 1 @ 2 -PS2 - contains the other various Streetfighter games even the horrid Streetfighter 1.

Hell I still own my original mint copy of Streetfighter 3:third strike on Dreamcast but after playing the arcade perfect port on PS2 I never went back to the DC version , too many missing frames hit detection issues etc.

other games that never get old for me:

the original Legend of Zelda - NES

classic Castlevania - any true 2-D classic CV from NES to Genesis and PSone.

[mEgAsHoT]

Games that never get old for me are:

Crazy Taxi 1, 2, and 3 (Dreamcast, Xbox)
-This series just has a certain thing to it that other games don't have. It's easy to play, fun as heck, and it has an awesome soundtrack. It's still fun to pop in the original and see how many customers I can get.

WWF No Mercy (N64)
-I play this game almost every single day. This is the greatest pro-wrestling game ever created, IMO. The gameplay is great, it controls great, easy to play, and plenty of match types and wrestlers (and a simple, but fun Create-A-Wrestler mode) make me play this game instead of the more recent Smackdown titles.

Sonic the Hedgehog series (Sega Genesis)
-Even though I know the levels by heart, it is still fun to whip out a classic 2D Sonic game and play through it. Plus, the music and sound are top-notch, too.

Pokemon Puzzle League/Tetris Attack (N64/SNES)
-This game is very, very addictive! It's a great puzzle game that me and my brother always seem to play every so often. It never gets old to see who can get the biggest chain or who can last the longest.

[MarioMania]

Sonic, Streets of Rage 2 & Any Street Fighter 2 Game

[Steven]

Any SF II game
Any World Heroes game (without shame or guilt)
The original Ken Griffey (I've probably played at least 7 different 162 game seasons with this one, no joke)

There are more but these come to mind immediately.

[Juganawt]

For a game that was so successful, why do you think it's never been released on a compilation? I've read about this game a bunch but never had a chance to play it.

Sorry for late response..only a couple of months late!

The reason is because David Braben & Ian Bell had a bit of an argy bargy over the rights of Elite. It's well documented, and rather messy. David Braben is working on a spiritual successor to Elite, but nobody knows the official name of it yet. Apparently it's due for release in 2008.

Your best bet is to grab the WinUAE emulator, and the Amiga versions of the games, and play them on that. The emulation is perfect, and all 3 of the games still rock even though they look like crap.

[starsoldier1]

Advance Wars, Guardian Legend. and Wario's Woods never get old for me.

[Chuplayer]

Crazy Taxi never gets old. I played the arcade version last Saturday for hours. The skin on my left thumb is raw, and my right arm is only just now feeling less sore after working the gearshift like a madman. And I only spent a couple bucks. On my last game, I lasted over 45 minutes. It was glorious.

I've been playing it off and on since the summer of 2000 when I rented the Dreamcast version. And then rented it again. And again. I finally bought it and played it nearly my entire freshman year of high school. Then Crazy Taxi 2 came out that spring. I haven't played it like mad since 2003, but it is one of my most played games of every year.

I thikn I might go back to the arcade this Saturday and play some more. I've got to see if I can beat my best score.

[Dingo]

Here's my list of games I come back to time and time again:

Contra (NES)
Castlevania (NES)
Super Castlevania IV
Super Metroid
Street Fighter III: Third Strike
Samurai Shodown II
In the Hunt (PS1)
Metal Slug 3

[BydoEmpire]

I have to agree with Phantasy Star Online. One of my favorites of all time, and to me, it's endlessly replayable. I put 100s of hours into it, and actually played more offline than on. There are so many quests, so many items to find, so many character types, and most important of all, the basic "three hit combo attack" mechanic is fun and feels right. The random dungeons really help, too.

But mostly, I think the classic "play for score" games have the most long-term replay value.
Ms. Pac Man, Defender, Mr. Do!, Galaga, Millipede, Donkey Kong. I'll be playing these games when I'm 70, still learning, still trying to get better.

[8bitgamer]

Dig Dug
Mr. Do!
Super Pac-Man
Phoenix

Classic Home Video Games 1972-1984 ("http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Home-Video-Games-1972-1984/dp/0786432268/ref=sr_1_1/102-4833994-2708962?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180844138&sr=8-1”)

[zemmix]

Civilization II. Either on the computer or console. I have the PSX version ripped and running on my psp for some Civ to go. No other game can suck as many hours away without me noticing.

Master of Orion I, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Mario Kart are all swell too.

[lkermel]

Waooo, they're so many of them... as someone mentioned, I'd say most of them are shooters, this genre is becoming rarer and rarer as time goes by and I still have a blast playing my old Gradius, Darius, Twin Bee or Raystorm games...

[Single Player Gamer]

Sonic 1, Contra, Streetfighter 2 Championship edition, Mutant League Football, Starcraft, Warcraft 3, and PSO. I love all of those games and enjoy them every time I play.

[agent57]

I would have to say Pharoah's Curse on the Atari 8-bit...even after all these years, I can still sit down and play that game and enjoy it.

Adventure on the 2600 is another strong contender here.

[tritium]

the genny sonic trilogy +1 (sonic & knucles)
street fighter (any of them. especially alpha 2) and spin offs like capcom vs snk.
crazy taxi
jet grind radio
sonic adventure 2.
super mario series is still fun to pick up on and don't get old
ms pac man
Galaga
most good shooters like ikaruga.
and i'll agree with the prev post of doom. that game is ageless.

[FAMOUS]

Streets Of Rage 1 ,Mortal Kombat 1, Road Rash 2 on Genesis

[Rob2600]

I still play these games repeatedly:

NES:

Blades of Steel
Castlevania
Contra
Legendary Wings
Mega Man II
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2
Track and Field


SNES:

Street Fighter II
Super Castlevania IV
Super Mario World


Nintendo 64:

1080 Snowboarding
Bust-a-Move '99
Mischief Makers
Pokemon Puzzle League
Wave Race 64
Star Fox 64


GameCube:

Beach Spikers
Burnout 2: Point of Impact (crash mode)


Game Boy:

Tetris


Some of my old Atari 2600 favorites used to be:

Beany Bopper
Berzerk
The Challenge of Nexar
Circus Atari
Defender
Demon Attack
Kaboom!
Missile Command
Pac-Man
Vanguard
Warlords

[Barbarianoutkast85]

For me I'd have to say, DKC3 (SNES), Boogerman (GEN), Rocket Knight Adventures (GEN), and Disgaea (PS2). I love those games.

[8bitgamer]

Asteroids Deluxe



I have to agree with you there. Asteroids Deluxe fixed what was wrong with the already great Asteroids by making it more challenging. Very underrated game.

Classic Home Video Games 1972-1984 ("http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Home-Video-Games-1972-1984/dp/0786432268/ref=sr_1_1/102-4833994-2708962?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180844138&sr=8-1”)