The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword 2011
Why it still holds upEnemy defenses you answer with the direction of your swing, and a hub revisited with new goals, still make combat and exploring feel connected today.
Games that still hold up today
Timeless games worth playing today
Games
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword 2011
Why it still holds upEnemy defenses you answer with the direction of your swing, and a hub revisited with new goals, still make combat and exploring feel connected 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.
The Beatles: Rock Band 2009
Why it still holds upEvery song is still a shared performance, with a band playing together in the same room.
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II 2006
Why it still holds upA base you can build anywhere on the map still gives every game its own layout.
Stronghold 2001
Why it still holds upA castle that has to hold off sieges and fire alike is still as much of a challenge as the fighting today, and each one is a design problem to solve.
Gears of War 2006
Why it still holds upCover, timing and a squad to keep alive still make every firefight tense today.
ESPN NFL 2K5 2004
Why it still holds upA franchise built on weekly preparation, and a first person view of the field, still give each season a rhythm to play through 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.
Skate 2 2009
Why it still holds upObjects you can move to build your own lines still make the city something to rework today.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age 2017
Why it still holds upGambits you write yourself still make the party's behavior something you design.
Gunpoint 2013
Why it still holds upA cross section that shows every guard and circuit lets you plan a route before moving, and that planning still pays off.
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra 2006
Why it still holds upCombat that rewards planning a few turns ahead still keeps each battle tense today.
Darkest Dungeon 2016
Why it still holds upEach expedition still has real stakes, because heroes who are lost are lost for good.
Zeus: Master of Olympus 2000
Why it still holds upA city where the disasters are monsters, and heroes are hired against them, still gives city building a story of its own today.
Severance: Blade of Darkness 2001
Why it still holds upEven now, four fighters with different weapons give each playthrough its own style.
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.
Total War: Warhammer II 2017
Why it still holds upEach campaign has a reason of its own, as four factions have opposite aims for the same event, and that is still worth replaying.
Gemini Rue 2011
Why it still holds upThe investigation is still a puzzle of what each character knows, across two stories you move between.
Forza Motorsport 4 2011
Why it still holds upThere are still many ways to drive the same circuit, with a garage of that size.
Wandersong 2018
Why it still holds upIt is easy to pick up now: you sing with a wheel of eight notes and every puzzle is a small piece of music you play.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly 2003
Also known as Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly
Why it still holds upWaiting for a ghost to come close before you shoot still makes every fight a test of nerve.
Pathologic 2005
Why it still holds upA game that moves on whether or not a player keeps up is still worth meeting 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.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked 2011
Why it still holds upA clock, and events that exclude each other, still make each choice cost something.
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! 1987
Why it still holds upSet patterns and a heart meter that punishes missed punches make each bout a lesson in timing 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.
Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX 2010
Why it still holds upA speed that climbs with your score still builds every run toward a frantic finish today.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 2002
Why it still holds upEvery scenario still gives you a park to design, and coasters you make and test yourself give each one something to build toward.
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town 2003
Why it still holds upA routine where each day's work builds on the last still gives every season its own goals today.
LittleBigPlanet 2 2011
Why it still holds upA game that hands you the tools to make games still puts a maker behind every level today.
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.
Skies of Arcadia 2000
Why it still holds upA blank sky map that you fill in by flying between islands still gives exploration a sense of discovery today.
Judgment 2018
Why it still holds upThe pace is still varied, as detective sections like tailing and lock picking give the brawls a reason to stop.
AM2R: Return of Samus 2016
Why it still holds upA fan remake of a handheld game is still worth a look today.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd 2007
Why it still holds upScenes you open with a door and a symbol still make each dungeon a source of story as well as combat.
Action Fighter 1986
Why it still holds upThe course is still new each time, with a change of vehicle from level to level.
Landstalker 1992
Why it still holds upA world built to be looked at from every angle still rewards a careful player today.
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs 2002
Why it still holds upLeading a team on missions that depend on teamwork makes each one a small operation.
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.
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror 2004
Why it still holds upA cellphone that calls other Kirbys to help, and a hub that leads to nine areas, make it easy to enjoy with friends today.
FlatOut 2 2006
Why it still holds upWrecking the car is still part of the fun, with minigames in which the driver is the projectile.
Sleeping Dogs 2012
Why it still holds upFights and chases set in a city you can roam between missions still keep it worth playing today.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life 2016
Why it still holds upThe open world still has things to do between fights, from a hunger gauge that limits how much you can eat to arcade cabinets in the city.
Dino Crisis 2 2000
Why it still holds upToday, points that reward fighting without being hit turn every dinosaur into a score to chase.