Retrogaming

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is a surprisingly fun game. At its core it’s a role-playing game. But you wouldn’t tell because of the amount of platforming, the quantity and quality of small puzzles and -most of all- the funny self-deprecating dialogue. As the player you control Mario and Luigi simultaneously and that takes some time to master. As you learn techniques along the way, each character get special abilities allowing you to solve new puzzles and advance on your journey. It’s not a shot game for a handheld, taking around 20-30 hours to finish at the minimum. ...

Like many games of that time, Snow Bros. is a simple game that can be mastered with practice (or rather, coins). It’s fun all the way, specially when playing with 2 players (in co-op). The gameplay is somewhat reminiscent of Bubble Bobble, but instead of bubbles you shoot snow to bury enemies in snowballs. Push the snowball to get rid of all the enemies on its path! ...

Time can be cruel for games. Some games don’t age well. The advance in computational and graphical power is painfully clear. But time can also be a filter to separate great from mediocre games. If a game survives for decades, there is a big chance it’s a great game. Games are released to run on very specific hardware and operating systems. Older games do often not run out of the box on modern computers. However, this does not mean that running them is impossible, or even challenging. There are several options to play these games, depending on what you find important or achievable. ...

Is a game released on 2017 still retrogaming? It is if you played on a Wii-U, the abandoned last-generation console of Nintendo. Yes, it was also released on a Nintendo Switch, as exactly the same game with a very small bump in resolution (from 720p to 900p). Originally it was planned as a Wii-U exclusive, but it took Nintendo a few extra years to get it right. And they did. ...

A fun, kind of realistic tennis game. Best for playing in Quick Tournament mode (the history mode is silly). Not easy, but certainly worth it. Handhelds like the rp3+ can upscale it to about 3x the original resolution. My old 2016-Celeron NUC with Batocera can upscale it to 1080p without any issues. Have a look at “How to play retrogames?” if you don’t know how to play retrogames. ...

This is a beautiful game with interesting puzzles and… a story. Another perfect example of SNES-level graphics on a small handheld. The game takes a little investment in the beginning because it starts slowly, certainly if you’re not familiar with the action-adventure genre The quests will become clearer and the speed will pick up. You will be stuck more than once (actually, lots of time). You’ll want to finish it in one go, but this open world game will keep you occupied for way, way, longer than you expected. It’s the perfect introduction to rich library of 2D Zelda games. ...

This game is probably my favorite in the Metroid Series. It’s a perfect example of SNES-level graphics on a small handheld. This is the most story-driven installment of all Metroid 2D games. Be ready to be lost for hours and experience a huge adrenaline boost once you finally figure out what you need to do or when you finish that impossible boss. Oh, and in this Metroid there are situations where there is no way you can win, and you have to run. Very hard. ...

The 2D Metroid Series offer a perfect mix of platformer action, adventure and intelligent puzzles. While preceded by Metroid (1986) on the NES and Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991) on the GameBoy, this is the game that gave the series its distinct look and identity. While Metrovania is a thing and inspired many great games for decades to come, it is Metroid and not Castlevania the game that immerses the played in an eerie, dreadful, inmense and most of all lonely universe. It’s close to the atmoshere created on Ridley Scotts’s Alien, a clear inspiration for the developers. ...

This game returns to the top-down perspective of the first Zelda while making the game graphically stunning (the NES graphics ages less well compared to the SNES/GBA sequels). Even today, more than 30 years later, it’s pretty much the pattern to follow for pixel-art games. This game is long and hard, but at the same time extremely rewarding. It’s a must-play classic. Have a look at “How to play retrogames?” if you don’t know how to play retrogames. ...

Dr. Mario is often bundled with its more famous predecessor Tetris. The puzzle game is certainly a worthy successor. While there are versions of this game on more recent consoles, the straightforwardness of the Game Boy is something the more recent ports lack. The game is fast, the music fantastic. Simple and a lot of addictive fun. Have a look at “How to play retrogames?” if you don’t know how to play retrogames. ...