Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga 2003
Why it still holds upBecause each brother has a button and presses are timed, every turn of battle still involves timing as well as choosing today.
2000s games that still hold up
Games
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga 2003
Why it still holds upBecause each brother has a button and presses are timed, every turn of battle still involves timing as well as choosing today.
SSX 3 2003
Why it still holds upOne connected mountain with no loading screens still turns each run into a single long descent today.
Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast 2002
Why it still holds upLightsaber, blaster and Jedi powers in one game still give it a mix of melee and ranged fighting today.
Pokémon FireRed Version 2004
Why it still holds upCollecting badges toward the Elite Four, with battles and capture in between, still gives the adventure a clear shape today.
Commandos 2: Men of Courage 2001
Why it still holds upA squad of specialists, each with abilities of their own, and missions with several objectives still give it plenty to plan today.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock 2007
Why it still holds upStrumming and fretting in time with the notes, with a multiplier that builds on a streak, still makes each song a test of timing today.
Final Fantasy XII 2006
Why it still holds upGambits, which let you program how each character fights, still make combat a matter of setup as much as input today.
Team Fortress 2 2007
Why it still holds upNine classes with distinct strengths and weaknesses, and teams that need a mix of them, still make every match about who plays what today.
Gears of War 2 2008
Why it still holds upCover, a short loadout and a partner still make each firefight a matter of positioning today.
Thief II: The Metal Age 2000
Why it still holds upLarge levels with several routes, and tools that change light and sound, still leave you to plan your own way past the guards today.
Golden Sun: The Lost Age 2002
Why it still holds upPsynergy puzzles that open new areas, and Djinn that tie exploration to battle stats, still link finding things to fighting today.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King 2004
Why it still holds upA whole 3D world to cross, with more to do than fight, still gives the adventure plenty of ways to play today.
TimeSplitters 2 2002
Why it still holds upSplit screen with bots, sixteen modes and a level builder still make a shared session easy to fill today.
Kingdom Hearts 2002
Why it still holds upSimple controls and a structure of self contained worlds, each with its own sub story, still make it easy to pick up and repeat today.
Gran Turismo 4 2004
Why it still holds upOver 700 cars, dozens of driving missions and a crew chief mode that speeds the race up still give you many ways to spend a race today.
Psychonauts 2005
Why it still holds upEach mental world is its own set of levels built around one character's psychology, which gives distinct settings and mechanics and still gives every area a new idea today.
SWAT 4 2005
Why it still holds upCharacters die quickly on both sides, so a room taken with a plan still beats one taken by force, and that careful pace holds up today.
Hitman: Blood Money 2006
Why it still holds upEach mission is an open space with several ways to reach the target, and a payout that rewards doing it cleanly still invites a second try today.
Pikmin 2 2004
Why it still holds upA day that always runs short, with randomly built caves below it, still makes every trip a set of choices today.
Rock Band 2 2008
Why it still holds upA No Fail mode and Overdrive rescues still let a group of mixed skills share one song today.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 2002
Why it still holds upLight and shadow are your refuge and the level layouts form routes through gaps in vision, so play is still built around reading the lighting rather than shooting today.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! 2003
Why it still holds upPosition weighted items keep races close, and the pairing system gives many combinations today.
Mega Man ZX 2006
Why it still holds upForms with abilities of their own, in a world to explore between missions, still give the platforming variety today.
Indigo Prophecy 2005
Why it still holds upScenes that leave you free to act, and characters whose threads feed each other, still let the same events play out differently today.
Valkyria Chronicles 2008
Why it still holds upA map for commanding and a third person view for aiming still let you plan like a commander and then aim like a soldier today.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes 2000
Why it still holds upTeams of three with a call in assist and a snapback that forces a switch still turn each match into a puzzle of who is on screen today.
Rome: Total War 2004
Why it still holds upA campaign and real time battles that feed each other, with morale and formations deciding fights, still make every war a decision about what to risk today.
Left 4 Dead 2 2009
Why it still holds upSpecial infected that each change how players have to move and fight, and finales that break up horde defense, still keep every run from repeating today.
No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way 2002
Why it still holds upBecause guards react to sound, light and bodies, a careful, silent approach and an all out one both still work today.
The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition 2009
Why it still holds upPuzzles where no choice is wrong, and a presentation you can switch back to the original at any time, still make the adventure easy to explore today.
Dofus 2004
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages 2001
Why it still holds upWith the same map in two ages, puzzles are solved by changing something in the past and walking through the present, and that still gives each area two layers to work out today.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault 2002
Why it still holds upThe campaign keeps changing what it asks of you from one mission to the next, with fighting that feels grounded, and that variety is why it is still worth playing.
Stronghold Crusader 2002
Why it still holds upWith farmland limited by the desert map, economy and position still decide strategy today.
Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis 2001
Why it still holds upOn foot and vehicle combat in one continuous game, with squad orders and a mission editor, still gives a mission many ways to play today.
Pokémon LeafGreen Version 2004
Why it still holds upWith the catching and battling kept intact, each badge is still a clear goal today.
Burnout 3: Takedown 2004
Why it still holds upAggression that pays for speed still makes every race a risk worth taking today.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec 2001
Why it still holds upA progression of races, license tests and championships tied to unlocking cars still gives a career a clear path today.
The Witcher 2007
Why it still holds upA world full of quests, with choices whose cost arrives later, still keeps each act worth the time today.
iRacing 2008
Why it still holds upRacing on scanned real circuits against drivers matched to your level is still what it offers today.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 2001
Why it still holds upEach trial is a puzzle of attention: you spot the one statement in a testimony that your evidence contradicts, and the cases are fun to solve today.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn 2007
Why it still holds upPermanent losses and a weapon rank that rewards long use turn every unit's survival and training into a long term plan, and it still has that depth.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay 2004
Why it still holds upFists and shadows, with guns held back, still give the escape its own tension today.
Oni 2001
Why it still holds upYou still get fights that favor your fists over scarce ammunition, and each encounter is a hand to hand duel.
Cave Story 2004
Why it still holds upWeapons that lose levels when you are hit still make every fight about avoiding damage today.
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga 2007
Why it still holds upA mistake only costs studs you can pick up again, so a second player can join in now without fear of losing the run.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 2004
Why it still holds upA new player today is not stranded for long, because dialogue that changes with the story makes each town worth revisiting.
Advance Wars 2001
Why it still holds upLimited fuel and ammo, and terrain that changes what each unit can do, make every turn a small puzzle, still worth solving.