Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror 1997
Why it still holds upDescriptions on a right click, and conversation trees that give hints, still tell you what to try next.
1990s games that still hold up
Games
Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror 1997
Why it still holds upDescriptions on a right click, and conversation trees that give hints, still tell you what to try next.
Quake 1996
Why it still holds upFull 3D levels, enemies with distinct roles and rocket jumping still make exploring and fighting feel like one thing today.
Full Throttle 1995
Why it still holds upOne menu for every action, and dialogue where you pick the answer, still keep the adventure easy to get into today.
Jurassic Park 1993
Why it still holds upA hunt that makes its biggest dinosaur something to dodge, not to shoot, still gives each level some tension today.
Sonic the Hedgehog 1991
Why it still holds upEvery run is a mix of momentum and caution, with rings that protect you from one hit and slopes that carry your speed, and it plays that way still.
SoulCalibur 1998
Why it still holds upEight way movement, a forgiving input buffer and Guard Impact still let you step around an opponent or turn their attack against them today.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 1993
Why it still holds upChoosing exactly what to ask each person, one day at a time, still makes the investigation a slow puzzle of listening today.
Circle of Blood 1996
Also known as Broken Sword
Why it still holds upQuestioning every character and finding clues in your own inventory still makes each scene a small investigation today.
Star Control II 1992
Why it still holds upAn open galaxy, crossed by talking as much as by fighting, still makes each session worth playing today.
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee 1997
Why it still holds upIt still plays as a careful puzzle platformer: rescued Mudokons follow your commands and checkpoints are the only saves.
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium 1993
Why it still holds upFights that reward combining a party, and a story told clearly in comic panels, still make it easy to follow today.
Metal Slug 1996
Why it still holds upAnimation that answers everything you do still gives each level its pace today.
Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars 1996
Why it still holds upBuilding one thing at a time, while heroes grow across a campaign, still makes every turn a choice of what comes first today.
Super Mario Kart 1992
Why it still holds upItems and power slides still make every lap a mix of speed and risk today, and the two player modes give you a reason to bring a friend.
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 1998
Why it still holds upTwo ways of taking a corner, and cars earned race by race, still give a short championship a reason to be run again today.
Wizardry: Bane of the Cosmic Forge 1990
Why it still holds upEleven races and fourteen professions still let a party be built in many ways today, which gives a long dungeon crawl its replay.
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus 1998
Why it still holds upAllies in different moods that need different handling make each rescue a small puzzle of its own, and the variety still lasts.
Ultima VII: The Black Gate 1992
Why it still holds upA world made of objects to move, stack and use still gives it something to poke at today.
Master of Orion 1993
Why it still holds upA game of conquest is still a puzzle of priorities: every colony is a choice between growth, defense and research on a slider.
Street Fighter II' Turbo 1993
Why it still holds upThe speed setting still lets you choose the pace you want to play at, and a faster game with more special moves makes each match about timing.
Toonstruck 1996
Why it still holds upWith nothing to lose, trying every item on every character is still the way to play it today.
Gran Turismo 1997
Why it still holds upA progression of licenses, credits and tuning, on top of physics built first, still blends arcade and simulation racing today.
Pharaoh 1999
Why it still holds upA city whose every need leads to another still keeps it worth tending today.
Trials of Mana 1995
Why it still holds upThere is still more than one way to play through it, with six characters and class changes that split into light or dark paths.
Discworld Noir 1999
Why it still holds upAn investigation still keeps moving without leaving you stuck, as leads are crossed out in a notebook and a missed clue arrives later.
Lemmings 2: The Tribes 1993
Why it still holds upEach level is a puzzle about who to spare, with skills you have to ration and levels that need several lemmings to survive, and it absorbs you today.
Harvest Moon 64 1999
Why it still holds upSeasons and animals that ask for something every day still give each year a plan to follow today.
Sensible World of Soccer 1994
Why it still holds upFootball and management that feed each other still carry a career across twenty seasons today.
Master of Magic 1994
Why it still holds upA choice of magic made at the start, on a world drawn fresh each time, still shapes every campaign today.
Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance 1999
Why it still holds upCrews you can fill and hangars you return to make each battle more than a single run today.
Blade Runner 1997
Why it still holds upSuspects who differ each new game, and clues that change what others do, give every case a reason to start again today.
Jagged Alliance 2 1999
Why it still holds upSquads built around who gets along with whom, and towns you can attack from any side, still make each choice of mercenary a commitment today.
Sanitarium 1998
Why it still holds upWith no game over, and chapters that each change the look and mood, it is still easy to follow into every new place.
The Dig 1995
Why it still holds upIt is easy to approach even now, because each puzzle is a matter of what to carry where, with items you collect and use on the environment.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 1999
Why it still holds upCoasters laid one piece at a time, and guests whose needs you have to place for, still let you build a park to your own plan today.
Discworld II: Mortality Bytes! 1996
Also known as Discworld II: Missing Presumed...!?
Why it still holds upThe puzzles are still about finding the right item for the right person, with a Luggage that holds everything and four attitudes for every conversation.
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber 1999
Why it still holds upLeading an army where how you win is counted as well as whether you win still makes each march a decision today.
Shining Force II 1993
Why it still holds upA lost battle only sends you back to town and one hidden item changes some promotions, so it stays forgiving and worth exploring today.
Transport Tycoon 1994
Why it still holds upEach map is still an economy to work out today, from where a station goes to when a train is replaced.
Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom 1998
Why it still holds upA medieval economy of roads and carried goods still gives anyone who likes managing details plenty to manage today.
Virtua Tennis 1999
Why it still holds upA joystick and buttons, and a ranking to climb, still make a game of tennis easy to pick up today.
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun 1999
Why it still holds upTiberium gives the struggle a single focus, which keeps the tension high for anyone who plays today.
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 1999
Why it still holds upScouting is still part of the tactics, with fog that hides the map until a unit advances.
The Legend of Dragoon 1999
Why it still holds upEach attack is still an act of timing, in a battle that asks for a command at the right moment.
Landstalker 1992
Why it still holds upA world built to be looked at from every angle still rewards a careful player today.
Super Smash Bros. 1999
Why it still holds upKnocking a rival off the stage, rather than wearing down a bar, still shapes how every match unfolds.
Super Bomberman 5 1997
Why it still holds upA campaign that branches and a battle mode fed by it are still reason enough to come back to it today.
Riven: The Sequel to Myst 1997
Why it still holds upA vaguely explained goal and cursors that tell you what a click will do still make exploring each place a matter of observing.