Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django 2004
Why it still holds upPlaying outside still gives the game its own rhythm.
2000s adventure games that still hold up
Somewhere to get to, and plenty in the way
Games
Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django 2004
Why it still holds upPlaying outside still gives the game its own rhythm.
Jade Empire 2005
Why it still holds upA quest through a world of Chinese myth is a journey still worth making.
Penumbra: Black Plague 2008
Why it still holds upObjects you move yourself still give you your own way through each room today.
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure 2007
Why it still holds upEach stage is still a hands on experiment, with puzzles solved by gestures as if the remote were the tool.
Fable II 2008
Why it still holds upA life spent building up Albion is still a story worth living through.
Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future 2000
Why it still holds upA dolphin in a 3D sea still gives swimming a new freedom.
Windosill 2009
Why it still holds upA short, quiet toy of a game is still easy to finish in one sitting.
Yume Nikki 2004
Why it still holds upA dream world to wander without a game over is still open today.
Blackwell Unbound 2007
Why it still holds upTwo ghost stories in a quiet city still make a pair of cases that are easy to follow.
Resident Evil Zero 2002
Why it still holds upTwo partners with different skills are still a reason to take another walk through the facility.
Disney's Lilo & Stitch 2002
Why it still holds upIt is a tough run and gun, and Stitch's four arms and plasma blasters are still worth playing today.
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams 2001
Why it still holds upEnemies you can lift and jump off keep every screen a small puzzle today.
Devil May Cry 4 2008
Why it still holds upCombat graded on style still makes chasing the top rank the point today.
Shantae 2002
Why it still holds upAn open world that unlocks as she learns new dances and forms still gives you reasons to return to earlier places.
Fear Effect 2000
Why it still holds upA film like presentation still gives it a style of its own.
Pokémon Diamond Version 2006
Why it still holds upChoosing a first partner and growing a team is a long journey that is still open today.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All 2002
Why it still holds upDefending a client by catching a contradiction is still a good reason to play.
LittleBigPlanet 2009
Why it still holds upA new campaign to play on a handheld still keeps the series' creative side.
Wario Land 4 2001
Why it still holds upEven now, four distinct themes let you pick your own path.
RuneScape 2001
Professor Layton and the Last Specter 2009
Also known as Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call
Why it still holds upPuzzles taken in your own order, with hints that nudge without solving, still carry the mystery today.
Super Paper Mario 2007
Why it still holds upA hero who steps from flat to deep and back again is a trick that is still fun to watch.
Jet Grind Radio 2000
Also known as Jet Set Radio
Why it still holds upA race against the timer with the police closing in still keeps each area tense.
Headhunter 2001
Why it still holds upGuns that hurt without killing still make each arrest a tense decision today.
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars - The Director's Cut 2009
Why it still holds upIt is still the 1996 adventure with its second lead given her own half, and a hint when Paris stumps you.
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy 2006
Why it still holds upWordless cutscenes and a second player who can drop in at any time still make it easy to pick up with someone else today.
Overlord 2007
Why it still holds upFour kinds of minion still decide who to send into each fight.
Sam & Max: Save the World 2006
Why it still holds upCases that each tell a complete story still make it easy to play one episode at a time.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin 2006
Why it still holds upA single map still has several settings, thanks to portals that lead to deserts and towns from inside a castle.
Kirby: Canvas Curse 2005
Also known as Kirby: Power Paintbrush
Why it still holds upToday, drawing the ground under him as he rolls makes every level a small puzzle of lines.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth 2005
Why it still holds upThe sanity system still makes the fear come from the detective's own mind as much as from the enemies.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars 2009
Why it still holds upIt still has a look of its own, with a camera that looks down on an open city and outlined comic book shapes.
The Thing 2002
Why it still holds upA squad you need, any of whom could be the Thing, is still what makes it worth playing today.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2006
Why it still holds upBuilding your own team from a huge cast still makes every run different.
Nox 2000
Why it still holds upTrueSight still keeps the dungeon only as big as what your character can see.
Penumbra: Overture 2007
Why it still holds upWith no gun to rely on and puzzles worked with your own hands, the mine still asks you to think rather than shoot.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance 2002
Why it still holds upEven now, two castles that share one layout but change each other make each room worth a second look.
Syberia II 2004
Why it still holds upSince you cannot die or get stuck, it still suits a slow, relaxed pace.
American McGee's Alice 2000
Why it still holds upToday, a set of toy weapons, each used in two ways, gives every fight a choice of how to answer.
Call of Juarez: Bound In Blood 2009
Why it still holds upTwo brothers who fight differently still give each shootout a choice today.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2001
Why it still holds upThe command map still plans the fight from above and has you watch it through one pair of eyes.
Gothic 3 2006
Why it still holds upA large world where you choose a side still leaves a lot of room to explore.
LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game 2005
Why it still holds upA game with no game over, played two at a time, still makes a gentle fit for a family today.
Castle Crashers 2008
Why it still holds upFour knights in a cooperative brawl are still an easy game to share.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories 2006
Why it still holds upBusinesses to take over still give the missions a purpose beyond the story.
Risen 2009
Why it still holds upThe island is still small enough to know, with a faction that decides who you become.
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves 2005
Why it still holds upA heist that gives every member of the crew a different job still keeps it varied today.
God of War: Chains of Olympus 2008
Why it still holds upA combo-based fight against myths is still a clear reason to play on a handheld.