Video games have been available since the development of Pong in 1972, an electronic sport game in two dimensions that simulates table tennis. For over 50 years the video games got better and better in every aspect: plot, quality, complexity, and, also, the impact they leave us for years.
So, Her Campus Casper Líbero prepared a list of 13 iconic games that never lose their charm. Either if you’re a 90’s baby or a Gen Z, you will surely have a soft spot for these “babies” that make nostalgia come rushing through our hearts. Check out!
- Zelda: Ocarina of Time
-
The Legend of Zelda is an all-time classic. In it, you’re a hero that needs to save the princess, Zelda, in a journey through the past and the future. Ocarina of Time was released in 1998 for Nintendo 64 and re-launched with better graphics in 2011 for the 3DS. Whether you played it first on the N64 or 3DS, it will always make you go back to simpler times, when you just needed to wake up and save Hyrule and the princess.
- Pókemon
-
With many versions, Pokémon is a game in which you have to collect pocket monsters (“pocket” + “monsters” = Pokémon) and battle with them until you become a Champion. Available in almost every Nintendo console, Pokémon has such an cultural impact that, even if you’re in your 40’s, it’s hard not to be tempted to at least download the franchise derivative version, Pokémon Go, on your cell phone.
- Castlevania
-
The vampire hunter game from 1986 is a must for those who want to start playing the Castlevania franchise. In it, the player controls Simon Belmont, who is a descendant from a famous vampire hunter, in a series of platform gameplay while he hunts for Count Dracula. In 2017, the label developed an anime on Netflix, which also follows the game’s perspective. Right now, in 2021, four seasons of the show are available for watching. The gothic fantasy game makes the 80’s nostalgia come back hugely!
- Final Fantasy VII
-
Considered the best Final Fantasy game in the franchise by many fans, the seventh installment will surely make all the memories come back, with that feeling of “I wish I could play it like the first time”! Final Fantasy VII was made back in 1997 in an RPG (Role-Playing Game) style and follows the protagonist, Cloud Strife, a mercenary that joins an eco-terrorist organization to prevent a megacorporation from using the world’s essence. Through his adventure, Cloud makes many friends and is faced with a powerful villain, Sephiroth. Later in March 2020, the seventh season of the game received a remake edition for the PlayStation 4 console.
- Fire Emblem
-
This RPG game is set in a medieval/renaissance fantasy world. You’re either royalty or a mercenary that gets caught up in a combat between evil and good or in war between countries. The game lets you decide what your characters will do, and what the relationship between them will turn out. With an impacting story and the decision of how you will play with the characters, Fire Emblem makes RPG fans go crazy. Today, the game is available for smartphones in their respective stores.
- Super Monkey Ball
-
This cute game can be underrated but will surely make you go back to childhood. In Super Monkey Ball, you control the character’s speed to turn through a maze while a timer is ticking without falling in the void of the map. For iOS users, the game is available on the respective phone store.
- Sonic
-
The blue hedgehog with incredible speed has never been out of popularity. With a simple mechanic of speeding his way through the map and getting coins to defeat Doctor Eggman, this game will forever be nostalgic, either for the music that plays in the background or the anxiety of the drowning song in the water phases.
- Pac-Man
-
The 1980 arcade one is a classic. Probably every generation born after it knows about the game of a yellow ball eating its way through a maze while being chased by colorful ghosts. Even after the death of arcades, Pac-Man lives on Google’s website: To play it, you just need to write “pac-man” on the search browser and the game appears right on your screen. When you’re bored, in a meeting, or simply want to relieve the retro era, this is the right choice!
Curiosity: Each of the four ghosts have a name: Blinky (red), Pinky (pink), Inky (blue) and Clyde (orange).
- Super Mario Bros
-
“It’sa me, Mario!” will forever be in our brains. This Nintendo game has Mario, a plumber, go through many worlds and phases to save Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser. The iconic soundtrack from the first world plays through each phase. Still, after many years, Mario got many variations, such as Mario Kart and Mario Party, which you can play with family and friends.
- Yoshi’s Island
-
Yoshi is a well-known character from the Mario Bros franchise. A green like dinosaur with the ability of using its tongue to get objects. In Yoshi’s Island you control many green dinosaurs while they protect and deliver baby Mario and baby Luigi to safety while being chased by Kamek, an evil magician. The colorful game palette and the happy soundtrack will make your day even happier!
- Shadow Of The Colossus
-
The PlayStation 2 game Shadow of The Colossus was a revolution in the game industry. With an open-world, the action-based game invites us to play with the character Wander, who has to defeat a colossus and save Mono, who was sacrificed believing that she was a cursed deity. Although Wander doesn’t talk the whole game, it doesn’t make the player experience go to waste! The atmosphere, the big colossi and the whole aesthetic will make you wish you still had that old PS2 console… Shadow of The Colossus made such an impact for the time it was released, that in 2018 it was released a high-definition remake.
- Club Penguin
-
Puffles, penguins, clothes, igloos…when you remember Club Penguin, every memory comes back. The online game has been active since 2005 and has made such an impact, that after an attempt of shutting down the website, the internet backlashed, and Club Penguin stayed for good – fortunately!
- Nintendogs
-
When the first Nintendo DS was released, Nintendogs was a blast. The game has a simple mechanic of taking care of a dog of your choosing, either by giving it food, grooming, going on walks and even participating in championships. Years later Nintendogs + cats were released where it featured cats that you could take care too. Still, if you have your DS nearby, why don’t you go and take care of your dog that’s been sitting there for years?
As always, these games are only a few of many other games that can make you wish childhood back. So, take time for yourself and let emotions flow through while you play these nostalgic games. You won’t regret it!
—————————————————————
The article above was edited by Helena Cardoso.
Liked this type of content? Check Her Campus Casper Libero home page for more!