The Legend of Zelda1986
Now this is what an adventure is! Not nearly as obscure as I thought it would be based on what I had been told, the original The Legend of Zelda was revolutionary for it's time and still feels that way today. The world is mysterious and full of wonder; it's truly incredible how immersive a measly 8 bits can be! I drew myself a paper map and went on my merry way with the trusty manual as my only guide. A sublime, sublime game. And to top it all off, it takes up less space than a single jpeg. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2023. I have yet to play the second quest, but probably will at some point. Tagsplatform:nes, year:1986 |
Super Mario World1990What a tremendous experience! This is what defined platformers for me, partly because it was one of the first games I ever owned. I’m talking about the Game Boy Advance version of course, and it’s most likely the first (and still one of the few) games I ever 100% completed – secret levels, dinosaur coins and all. As a kid I usually preferred playing Luigi, maybe because his floaty jump made the game feel a tad easier. Super Mario World really is one of those games that can be revisited ad-infinitum, the moment the title theme starts you know you’re in for a fantastic time. Have I beaten it?Yes, multiple times, the first was sometime in the 2000's. I've mainly played the Game Boy Advance version. Tagsplatform:snes, year:1990 |
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past1991After two earlier attempts through the years having ended in defeat about halfway through, I finally made it to the very end. Unlike Zelda II, which I have had quite a miserable time with so far, A Link to the Past mostly toughens up at the right moments, though much of the game is rather free-flowing and chill. Some of the puzzles do make it no wonder I couldn't beat this as a kid. It's somewhat surprising I had to resort to a guide quite a few times - something I didn't really do at all with the first The Legend of Zelda (and that's supposed to be the obscure one!). All in all, A Link to the Past deserves its classic status. It's got a whole lot of variety, both in design (mostly top-notch dungeons) and gameplay, and most importantly, atmosphere. It could be mistaken for a modern title. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2023. Tagsplatform:snes, year:1991 |
E.V.O.: Search for Eden1992
So much pain, but I finally did it. My history with E.V.O. goes way back: for some reason I had a SNES emulator disc on PS2 as a kid (probably bought by my father on a work trip in Southeast Asia), but there were only a handful of games that piqued my interest enough to play them. E.V.O. was one of the few, and it left a lasting impact on me - even though I could never make it past the fish stage! I even made my own rudimentary version of it in Game Maker at some point, there was something about it that instantly hooked me from the very moment I saw the title screen. There is something mysterious, even ritualistic about this game. There's something beautiful about it at times, though maybe even unintentionally quite nihilistic and, truth be told, really quite silly as well. Some of the music is good, especially at the beginning, but the most played tracks apast the fish stage get extremely annoying and give a weird tone to game. The mysterious atmosphere really takes a nosedive later on. I usually try to avoid relying on guides, but I really couldn't do without them this time. If the exploit of evolving to get your health back is not an intended mechanic, I really have no clue how anyone but the most hardcore of players is expected to beat this game. The bosses can be truly insane, unfortunately a lot of the time in the "your double tap didn't quite register so here's a two hit K.O." kind of way. But then sometimes just by random luck you can back them into a corner and cheese them in an instant. Even though I quite dislike using them, I had to put a save state right before the Yeti Mother just to be able to skip going back to the title screen every time I got annihilated. The constant resetting after only surviving for seconds at a time was driving me insane. You can't really learn the patterns when you don't even have time to register what's going on. And I don't know for sure, but some of the bosses seemed to be able to randomly change pattern or direction mid-move. So tough luck with that. I don't know if E.V.O. quite lived up to my childhood dreams, but I'm happy to have finally seen the end. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2025. Tagsplatform:snes, year:1992 |
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis1992I played this without a guide when I was still barely an adult and absolutely hated its guts. I’d probably be a lot more favourable to it nowadays. I still remember the puzzle that finally made me crack and look up the solution online. I was not amused by the fact the game seemingly broke its own rules and made me use a previously discarded item a second time. I had been wandering the same few tunnels for hours, and the end of the game was only a few clicks away. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2016. Tagsplatform:pc, year:1992 |
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening1993Story and vibe -wise Link’s Awakening is probably my favourite in the series up to that point; I love the whole Twin Peaks thing going on. It has a surprisingly touching ending as far as the whole theme of dreams and dreaming goes. The game does a good job of giving in-game hints, but I still had to check a guide maybe once per dungeon for maybe half of them. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2023. I played the DX version but didn’t go through the optional colour dungeon. Tagsplatform:gameboy, year:1993 |
Donkey Kong Country1994I played for way too long before realising I'd completely misunderstood the save system and that the game was a lot less punishing than I thought.. It’s still tough though, especially once you get to the ice levels. A lot of trial and error is involved, and a lot of near unavoidable deaths if you haven't memorised the level. At times it really is maddeningly infuriating. Even though the visual aesthetic hasn't quite stood the test of time, the vibes are exquisite. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2024. Tagsplatform:snes, year:1994 |
Final Fantasy VI1994An astonishing, profound work of art, Final Fantasy VI is not about stopping the apocalypse, but healing and rebuilding after the end. This was the game that launched my retro renaissance in 2023, and I’ve been chasing that high ever since through modding, tinkering with old consoles and emulators. Though I remember having been conscious about its existence for quite long and having heard much praise for it through the years, something about Final Fantasy VI felt like discovering a rare artefact, maybe because its imagery and characters haven’t quite saturated popular culture in the same way as some later titles in the series. This one has never been remade, doesn’t have spinoffs and is a completely independent work. Final Fantasy VI really is a coming together of an immense amount of creative energy. Yoshitaka Amano’s artwork perfectly encapsulates the mood, even though very little of it can actually be seen in-game. Nobuo Uematsu’s score rivals the great operas in emotional power (and talking about operas – what a sequence!). The story, which seems to have been collectively sourced, really brings the whole thing together. It iterates a lot on Final Fantasy tropes and the collective subconscious of 80’s-early 90’s Japanese science fiction storytelling, but transcends its genre and becomes one for the ages. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2023. Tagsplatform:snes, year:1994 |
Super Metroid1994An amazing game and an amazing experience. Are some of the controls a little clunky here and there? – maybe, but nothing compared to some other similar titles of the era. It’s wonderful getting lost on the planet Zebes, and the atmosphere is thick as can be. A grand ol’ time. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2023. Tagsplatform:snes, year:1994 |
Chrono Trigger1995When I first finished Chrono Trigger, I wasn't entirely feeling it, but with time (fittingly) it's really grown on me. This is a great, truly polished package of an RPG. I originally couldn't help but compare it to FFVI, but even though Chrono Trigger doesn't offer the same sort of transcendent emotional experience, I do feel there is quite a degree of profundity there, just in a different way (I keep thinking back to the forest planting sequence). Gameplay wise Chrono Trigger is overall much more of a fun romp, Akira Toriyama-style and all. And of course, the world, time-travel concepts, and characters (Frog/Glenn especially) are wonderfully charming . Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2023. Tagsplatform:snes, year:1995 |
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island1995What I remember is it's an amazing game, but I really have to play it again sometime... Wait a second, have I ever even beaten Yoshi's Island??? Have I beaten it?I have to have.. haven't I? I've played it so many times!.. Tagsplatform:snes, year:1995 |
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night1997I have problems with the gameplay, in particular the combat, Alucard's ridiculous knockback and the lack of compelling enemies, but the addicting core metroidvania gameplay loop is there. There is also something about the design, the artwork, music (Rainbow Cemetery is my favourite), tone, atmosphere that I think can be best described as mesmerizing. It's quite an unpolished game and with that a mixed bag, but overall worth playing. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2023. I played up till the "bad" ending, will update if I decide to go for the true ending. Tagsplatform:ps1, year:1997 |
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time1998Link's Awakening was already getting there, but this really is the first Zelda with a strong thematic drive. It's the hero's journey as metaphor for the transition from childhood to adulthood – that of the player even more-so than Link. It really makes me wish I'd played it back in the day. There are a lot of subtle motifs as well, many elements of the game (the music in particular) really seem to jive with the theme of nostalgia. It's incredible how fresh the gameplay feels, particularly for an early 3D game. The only trouble I had was in Ganon's Castle (something to do with the fire arrows – very frustrating). Funnily enough, the game could have been longer. I'd really love to explore more of this version of Hyrule, though there is a lot of side stuff to do. The more I think about it, the more I feel I really was quite touched by Ocarina of Time. Here’s a good article I found. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2023. I played the 3DS version, mainly for portability over Christmas. Tagsplatform:n64, year:1998 |
Metal Gear Solid1998Metal Gear Solid is a game by 15-year-olds for 15-year-olds, it's simultaneously exploding with creative energy and passion, has artistic ambitions that few games even attempt to match, and is also quite juvenile a lot of the time. It's a teenage game in the good and the bad. Like an 80's action flick in all its schlockiness, but filtered through an arthouse movie. The combo does work, somehow. If you can get past some of the more regressive elements (in particular the sometimes rather iffy depiction of women and some of the mean-spirited humour), Metal Gear Solid is an amazingly fun time both gameplay- and story-wise. This first game really captures a cool mood, the soundtrack is great, and some of the gimmicks (I’m especially thinking of the Psycho Mantis fight) manage to genuinely surprise as much as they would have back in the day. I played this on the couch with friends, and lots of laughs were had. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2024. Tagsplatform:ps1, year:1998 |
Roller Coaster Tycoon1999I love Roller Coaster Tycoon, and I was thrilled to find out about OpenRCT2, which made getting back to it on modern hardware infinitely more enjoyable. It is of course based on the second game, but I've only been playing scenarios from the first one (and Loopy Landscapes), which is the one I sunk an inordinate amount of hours into as a child. Have I beaten it?As in, beaten all the scenarios? Certainly not. Tagsplatform:pc, year:1999 |
Silent Hill1999If I'd played this by myself I would maybe have found it too janky to push through, but playing it with friends was great fun and a truly memorable experience. There's lots of good stuff in this game, it's often quite creepy, often (sometimes unintentionally) quite funny. The joke ending really is the best ending. Have I beaten it?Yes, in 2024. Tagsplatform:ps1, year:1999 |
Donald Duck: Quack Attack2000This game launched the first existential crisis in my life (see my article on gaming memories). It's probably not very good, but does have some nostalgic value for me. Have I beaten it?Yes, sometime in the very early 2000's. Tagsplatform:pc, year:2000 |
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask2000You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you? Well Majora's Mask certainly wasn't what I had expected based on Ocarina of Time. It's no wonder so much mythology has built up around this game over the years – I thought the previous entry was filled to the brim with open-ended symbolism, but Majora’s Mask is pretty much made of the stuff. It's an intensly stressful game experience at times with its three-day cycle and constant feeling on encroaching doom. Even though the time loop can be reset and slowed down at will, there is an ever-present feeling of not having enough time to get the necessary things done, as one would have it, the feeling of crunch. This is a very different sort of myth to that of the hero of time, Majora’s Mask is about a desperate search for lost innocence that begins and ends in the mists of the forest, nel mezzo del cammin. Underneath it all is a thematic web based around ideas of loss, impermanence, grief, hurt and most of all – as it should be – healing. The Song of Healing may be the most poignant piece of music I've encountered in Zelda so far. This is very much a game to be haunted by and one of the greatest and profoundest I’ve experienced in the medium. Have I beaten it?Yes, sometime in the very early 2000's. Tagsplatform:n64, year:2000 |
Kingdom Hearts2001Kingdom Hearts is in the running for my favourite game of all time. Have I beaten it?Yes, many, many times. Tagsplatform:ps2, year:2001 |