Cannon Fodder 1993
Why it still holds upA squad where every soldier is one round from death still makes each decision tense today.
1990s shooters that still hold up
From cover, from the hip, and from a side-scrolling jet
Games
Cannon Fodder 1993
Why it still holds upA squad where every soldier is one round from death still makes each decision tense today.
Starsiege: Tribes 1998
Wing Commander 1990
Why it still holds upA story that bends with your missions and wingmen who can die still make every sortie matter.
Contra III: The Alien Wars 1992
Why it still holds upIf you come to it now, expect two guns to choose between, and an easy setting with seven lives that makes the stages learnable.
Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere 1999
Why it still holds upFlying that has to manage energy, through a story that branches, still makes it worth playing today.
Ace Combat 2 1997
Why it still holds upA hangar to fill and missions that branch still give a reason to take off again today.
Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense 1999
Why it still holds upFor car combat among friends, it is still a good time.
SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle 1999
Why it still holds upThe arrest still makes the win a suspect alive on the floor and your weapon unfired.
Aero Fighters 1992
Why it still holds upA route that changes with every run and every pilot still makes it worth starting another today.
Jet Force Gemini 1999
Why it still holds upPlayers who like a lot of shooting spread across varied worlds can still find a good change of pace in it.
Unreal 1998
Why it still holds upA lonely planet, explored with flak and a flashlight, still has an atmosphere worth visiting today.
Star Wars: X-Wing 1993
Why it still holds upFlying a fighter from the cockpit, through the war around the film, is still a way to take part in the story today.
R-Type Delta 1998
Why it still holds upThree ships whose pods and cannons work in different ways still change how you plan each stage today.
Archimedean Dynasty 1996
Why it still holds upThe narrow water still makes it a dogfight in corridors of rock, under a sea that is all that is left.
Frame Gride 1999
Why it still holds upA robot you build and tune yourself still gives each duel your own stamp.
Star Parodier 1992
Why it still holds upA shooter that never takes itself seriously still keeps every stage light.
Seirei Senshi Spriggan 1991
Why it still holds upA weapon system you can only half predict still gives each run its own surprises.
Magical Chase 1991
Why it still holds upShops that sell health and a choice of weapons still give each run decisions to make.
Gate of Thunder 1992
Why it still holds upSeven stages of constant scrolling with a boss at each end still make it quick to pick up for another try.
GG Aleste 1991
Why it still holds upA ship that clears the screen when it dies still turns every loss into a last shot.
Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds 1995
Why it still holds upThe underground still takes the first game's flight into caves, with the castle to come home to.
Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri 1996
Why it still holds upChoosing the suits and splitting the squad still let you plan each fight on open ground your own way, reason enough to play it now.
Tomb Raider II 1997
Why it still holds upA trip from the Great Wall to Venice is a tour that still draws a returning player.
Shogo: Mobile Armor Division 1998
Why it still holds upIt is still easy to pick up, since two kinds of combat share one set of controls.
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake 1990
Why it still holds upSneaking past guards who listen is a test of care, and it remains one now.
Descent 3 1999
Why it still holds upEach tunnel is still a question of orientation as well as combat, with movement in every direction.
Air Zonk 1992
Why it still holds upTen companions that change how Zonk fights still give each stage a different choice today.
Lords of Thunder 1993
Why it still holds upChoosing the order of the stages and which armor to wear still gives each run a plan.
Crusader: No Remorse 1995
Why it still holds upThe scenery is still as destructible as the men in it.
Rocket Knight Adventures 1993
Why it still holds upThe rocket pack, charged and bounced off walls, still offers plenty of ways through a stage.
Operation C 1991
Why it still holds upAlternating side and top views over five stages still makes a compact run and gun.
Syphon Filter 1999
Why it still holds upA mix of shooting and stealth, across missions that keep changing, still makes it worth a look today.
Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf 1992
Why it still holds upAction and planning together, with ammunition to ration, still make each mission a puzzle as well as a fight today.
Sunset Riders 1991
Why it still holds upA shootout with a poster for a target is still a fine game for a group.
Heretic 1994
Why it still holds upAn inventory to use as you like, on top of keys to hunt for, still gives each level more to try today.
Einhänder 1997
Why it still holds upWeapons taken from defeated enemies still make each wave a choice of what to carry today.
Mega Man 6 1993
Why it still holds upA charged shot and a free choice of stage order still make it worth returning to.
Realms of the Haunting 1996
Why it still holds upThe doors still hide a universe behind every one, in a haunted house that is also a shooter.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 1998
Why it still holds upEach attempt is still a test of the plan, since missions reward planning and punish haste.
Shadow Warrior 1997
Why it still holds upVehicles to drive, ladders to climb and a katana or a sticky bomb to choose from still give each level things to try.
Dino Crisis 1999
Why it still holds upA facility where every locked door and every bullet counts still keeps a night of it tense today.
Toy Commander 1999
Why it still holds upA house full of toys still turns every room into a different mission.
Mega Man 3 1990
Why it still holds upThe order of stages is yours to choose, which is still a reason to keep returning.
Jazz Jackrabbit 2 1998
Why it still holds upRunning, shooting and stomping through four episodes, alone or with others, still make it an easy side scroller to pick up today.
Mega Man X3 1995
Why it still holds upClinging to walls while charging a shot is still a way of fighting worth trying.
Rise of the Triad: Dark War 1994
Why it still holds upIts unpredictable fights are still the reason to play it now, even if those mazes can leave you lost looking for keys.
Mega Man 5 1992
Why it still holds upEight stages with tricks of their own, such as switching gravity or riding a vehicle, are still there to be picked in any order.
Aliens versus Predator 1999
Why it still holds upThree campaigns that play this differently still give three reasons to start over today.