Super Smash Bros. Brawl 2008
Why it still holds upA damage percentage that decides who flies off, with four control schemes, still makes a match easy to start today.
2000s games that still hold up
Games
Super Smash Bros. Brawl 2008
Why it still holds upA damage percentage that decides who flies off, with four control schemes, still makes a match easy to start today.
Aquaria 2007
Why it still holds upExploring the sea is still a puzzle of what to try where, because songs are built from notes and forms open new barriers.
King's Bounty: The Legend 2008
Why it still holds upReplacing squadrons with gold after a loss turns every fight into a decision about what it will cost, which still gives its tactics weight.
Bayonetta 2009
Why it still holds upA dodge rewarded with a slow moment to strike, and a grade at the end of each fight, still give a reason to fight every battle better today.
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect 2005
Why it still holds upWith the campaign, its unlockable modes and a level maker together, there is still far more to play here today than the story alone.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within 2004
Why it still holds upA rewind that undoes a fatal mistake, and portals between two eras, let you recover from a wrong jump and plan a route, so the acrobatics are easy to retry today.
Pokémon Sapphire Version 2002
Why it still holds upDouble battles and abilities still give team building more to think about today.
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow 2005
Why it still holds upEven now, souls you can swap and a castle that opens as you find items give you reasons to explore every room.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance 2005
Why it still holds upPermanent losses and support bonuses between fighters who talk make each unit someone you plan to keep alive, and that tension is still there.
Space Rangers 2: Dominators 2004
Why it still holds upThe main goal can be ignored for exploration, trade and side quests, so a new game can still be played your own way today.
Worms World Party 2001
Why it still holds upA map that every shot reshapes still makes a match with friends lively today.
Mega Man ZX Advent 2007
Why it still holds upBringing the right form to each new boss, from forms taken off the last ones, still gives it variety today.
Machinarium 2009
Why it still holds upPuzzles stay in one place and the world is told without words, so each room is a self contained riddle that is easy to dip into now.
Ikaruga 2001
Why it still holds upEven now, a single polarity switch that turns bullets from danger into ammunition makes every screen a puzzle of order and timing.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 2003
Why it still holds upA hard jump that can be retried at once, by rewinding, still keeps its acrobatics easy to enjoy today.
Clannad 2004
Why it still holds upRoutes that unlock one another give a long read a structure that still pulls you forward today.
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors 2009
Why it still holds upDoors that open only for the right combination of people make each puzzle also a decision about who goes where, so replaying it still pays off.
We Love Katamari 2005
Why it still holds upRolling from the smallest things to the largest, an idea anyone gets at once, still makes every level easy to pick up today.
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload 2003
Why it still holds upThe fighting system is why it is worth playing now: each character plays differently, and the same gauges turn every exchange into a choice between attacking, defending and cancelling.
Mario Kart DS 2005
Why it still holds upOn a handheld today you have plenty to do, with courses from earlier games and a Mission mode beside the Grand Prix.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom 2003
Why it still holds upThree characters with different moves, and areas that the spatulas open, make a stage worth revisiting with a new ability today.
Elasto Mania 2000
Why it still holds upA bike that springs over the terrain still makes every level a puzzle of route and balance today.
The Operative: No One Lives Forever 2000
Why it still holds upMissions open to sneaking or to fighting, with humour throughout, still suit more than one way of playing today.
IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 2006
Why it still holds upEverything in one package means you can still start flying without collecting the expansions one by one.
Star Wars: Republic Commando 2005
Why it still holds upSquadmates you can order and revive give each fight a team feel, which a first mission still shows.
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising 2003
Why it still holds upA meter that offers a small power often or a super power later makes you choose when to spend it, and every battle today carries that choice.
Rhythm Heaven 2008
Why it still holds upFifty short games, each built on one rhythm, still suit a short session today.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey 2009
Why it still holds upNegotiating with demons and fusing them into new ones make every battle also a way to build your party, which still keeps its draw.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 2009
Why it still holds upEvery gunfight is still a rhythm of peeking and hiding, since health returns when you take cover.
Super Mario Sunshine 2002
Why it still holds upOne water backpack with several movement modes drives every level, while the secret courses without it test pure platforming, which still gives the game two kinds of jumping today.
NBA Street Vol. 2 2003
Why it still holds upTricks feed a meter that can turn the score around, and that keeps it worth playing today.
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future 2008
Why it still holds upWith no time limit and hints paid for with coins you find, each puzzle can still be taken at your own pace today.
Advance Wars: Dual Strike 2005
Why it still holds upTwo commanders, and sometimes two battles at once, still make planning each turn the reason to take it up today.
Age of Mythology 2002
Why it still holds upEach age advance is a choice about what you want to be able to do, because gods grant a power you can use once, and that still keeps its strategy fresh.
Unreal Tournament 2003 2002
Why it still holds upWith friends or bots, a quick match is easy to set up, and that is still the case.
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time 2003
Why it still holds upA second game inside the fights keeps your attention today, because an item creation system lets you craft, patent and recruit inventors.
Myst III: Exile 2001
Why it still holds upAges that are easy to wander, with puzzles found by watching them closely, still make it worth exploring today.
Off 2008
Why it still holds upThe fights still play at a rhythm of their own, with cooldowns instead of turns and elements made of materials.
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 2007
Why it still holds upConversations that can go wrong still make a quiet mystery tense today.
Guitar Hero 2005
Why it still holds upA guitar in your hands and four difficulties for every song still let anyone find their level today.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow 2004
Why it still holds upEach stealth section today has a few more ways to play, with Sam whistling to draw guards and carrying bodies through doors.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii 2009
Why it still holds upIt is friendly to play with a group now: a Super Guide helps with hard levels and bubbles bring back fallen players.
SoulCalibur II 2002
Why it still holds upEach exchange is a read of what your opponent will try, since the guard system answers each height of attack, and that keeps it worth playing today.
Rise of Nations 2003
Why it still holds upEvery border is something to defend today, as territory limits where you can build and attrition punishes armies without supply.
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2004
Why it still holds upWho you bring against whom is still the question of every army, since the counters run in a circle.
Freelancer 2003
Why it still holds upFlying with the mouse, and a trade you can start whenever you like, still make it easy to jump in and fly.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves 2004
Why it still holds upEvery job still has more than one way in, because three thieves with different skills let you pick the one that suits each heist.
Pokémon Pearl Version 2006
Why it still holds upEven now, battles that depend on each move's type and category reward planning a team on the climb to the Champion.