Punch-Out!! 2009
Why it still holds upEvery fight is still a pattern you learn, against boxers with readable tells.
Comedy games that still hold up
In on the joke, and usually the one telling it
Games
Punch-Out!! 2009
Why it still holds upEvery fight is still a pattern you learn, against boxers with readable tells.
WarioWare: Smooth Moves 2006
Why it still holds upEach tiny challenge is still a physical one, since you hold the controller in odd positions.
Micro Machines V3 1997
Why it still holds upRacing toys around a house, with up to eight friends at a time, still makes it a game for a crowd.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath 2005
Why it still holds upWhat you fire is still a choice in every fight, since the ammunition is made of living creatures.
Ratchet & Clank 2002
Why it still holds upA pile of strange weapons to buy and find still gives every fight a new toy to try today.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time 2020
Why it still holds upPlayed today, the platforming is the draw, with the masks and the other characters changing what each jump asks of you.
Metal Slug 2 1998
Why it still holds upA fight that never stops, in scenery you can blow apart, still makes each level a rush toward the boss.
Pilot Brothers 1997
Why it still holds upA pair of detectives who take turns in a zoo case is a way to play a puzzle story that is still easy to follow today.
Gitaroo Man 2001
Why it still holds upTracing a line to play a riff, with a guard and a solo in each song, still makes every song a short fight.
Conker's Bad Fur Day 2001
Why it still holds upSimple moves and pads that hand you the right tool at the right spot still keep each stretch moving today.
Katamari Forever 2009
Why it still holds upRolling up ever larger objects to make stars is still the whole idea, and it is quick to grasp now.
Disney's DuckTales 2 1993
Why it still holds upYou can still plan your own route, tackling levels in any order and revisiting them with new gear.
Discworld 1995
Why it still holds upChoosing a tone for each conversation, joking or angry, still gives every puzzle a social side.
Disney's DuckTales 1989
Why it still holds upA cane that is both weapon and pogo stick still makes jumping the center of everything you do.
The Incredible Machine 1992
Why it still holds upEvery failure is still yours to fix, because a machine behaves the same way every time.
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando 2003
Also known as Ratchet & Clank 2: Locked and Loaded
Why it still holds upMinigames between planets still keep the journey changing pace today.
The Blackwell Convergence 2009
Why it still holds upThe puzzles are on the easy side, which suits a case that moves at the pace of its talk.
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness 2003
Why it still holds upChains planned across a whole board, and items you can dive into to strengthen, keep every battle a puzzle about what to set off first today.
Metal Slug 3 2000
Why it still holds upA run still has more than one shape, because a level that forks lets you pick a harder or an easier route.
Goodbye Deponia 2013
Why it still holds upThe three Rufuses still make an adventure whose hero is three people, and not one you would trust.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors 1993
Why it still holds upEach level still has a job to finish, a hunt for neighbors across horror movie settings.
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 2015
Why it still holds upPuzzles that mix inventory and conversation across four heroes still make you ask who should do what.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II 2014
Why it still holds upThe story starts slowly, and the carried save still lets the sequel remember who you were kind to.
Theme Hospital 1997
Why it still holds upRooms to place, staff and research still make each hospital a plan to carry out today.
God Hand 2006
Why it still holds upEvery fighter you build is still your own, with over a hundred moves to choose from.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III 2017
Why it still holds upYou empty a Break Gauge to weaken an enemy and spend Brave Points on buffs, which is worth working through today.
Kirby Super Star Ultra 2008
Why it still holds upThere are still plenty of ways to play, with many different games on one cartridge.
Spyro: Year of the Dragon 2000
Why it still holds upHubs you can leave and come back to, with eggs to pick up later, still let you play at your own pace today.
Paradigm 2017
Why it still holds upIt is still easy to play today: the postcard map cuts out the walking between places, and the hints only come when you ask for them.
Chroma Squad 2015
Why it still holds upRunning the studio around the battles still gives every fight a purpose beyond winning it.
ToeJam & Earl 1991
Why it still holds upEach escape still has its own route, since the levels are different every time.
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy 2017
Why it still holds upEverything is reduced to one tool and one mountain, so the stripped back challenge is still all the game asks of you.
Pajama Sam In: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside 1996
Why it still holds upA game with a sock hunt and a quiz show is an easy one to share, and it still is today.
Rayman Legends 2013
Why it still holds upWorlds in any order, with friends beside you, still make it easy to share today.
Worms 2 1997
Why it still holds upA match among friends is the kind of game that works as well now as before.
Mega Man Battle Network 2001
Why it still holds upIts fights hide inside a network, and that idea is still what gives the game an identity of its own.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2013
Why it still holds upA story that opens a long series is a good place to start now.
Space Quest V: The Next Mutation 1993
Why it still holds upA starship captain who gives orders instead of just walking around still gives the point and click a new role.
Ape Escape 2 2002
Why it still holds upEven now, the playful levels and long list of gadgets make it a cheerful game to start.
LocoRoco 2006
Why it still holds upEven now, merging and splitting the blob makes tilting a world feel like handling something alive.
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal 2004
Why it still holds upAnyone who wants a game that is mostly about its weapons will find that still true here.
Simon the Sorcerer II: The Lion, the Wizard and the Wardrobe 1995
Why it still holds upPicture icons for every action still make the commands easy to learn.
LocoRoco 2 2008
Why it still holds upMoving by tilting the whole world, rather than steering a character, still gives it a feel of its own today.
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2003
Why it still holds upForging new weapons from the materials you find still gives each trip into the labyrinth a purpose.
Mad TV 1991
Why it still holds upCulture weighed against ratings is still the puzzle that runs every day today.
Ms. Splosion Man 2011
Why it still holds upOne button and a lot of timing make each room a short test of reflexes.
I Wanna Be the Guy 2007
Why it still holds upLearning each trap makes the challenge fair.
Tropico 2001
Why it still holds upRuling a small island with a sense of humor is a change of pace that still works today.