Nostalgia can strongly influence how we remember things, sometimes making us overlook a game’s shortcomings. The games listed below are incredibly important and influential within their genres and from their time periods. However, even if you’re feeling nostalgic, they can be difficult to play on the original consoles or computers.
Given that remasters and remakes of classics like Resident Evil and Dragon Warrior 7 already exist, revisiting these older games feels unnecessary. While they’re all still well-known and enjoyable, they simply don’t have the same impact they once did.
| Game Title | What Made It Important? | Why Does It Not Hold Up In 2026? |
|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. | It redefined platformers forever | Mario feels stiff to control now |
| Star Fox | One of the best-looking SNES games of its era | Controlling a spaceship with an SNES controller is not fun |
| Resident Evil | Helped establish the survival horror genre | The tank controls and item inventory are not user-friendly |
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
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Super Mario Bros.
Chaos In The Mushroom Kingdom
Released in 1985, Super Mario Bros. was a huge success for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and helped revitalize the video game industry. It was incredibly innovative for its time and is often credited with saving home console gaming. Mario has become a cultural icon, recognized even by people who don’t play video games. While Super Mario Bros. remains a landmark title, many find the original NES version difficult to enjoy by today’s standards.
The original Super Mario Bros. feels a bit clunky to control, making quick stops and accurate jumps challenging. Many levels are also frustratingly difficult due to enemies appearing unexpectedly. While the 1993 Super Mario All-Stars remake improves some of these issues, it’s still a tough game. While playable today, most modern Mario fans wouldn’t suggest starting with the very first Super Mario Bros. title.
Star Fox
Triangle Strategy
Star Fox was a visually impressive game for its time on the SNES, famous for using a technique called Mode 7. It created the illusion of 3D graphics with polygonal shapes, which was innovative then. However, looking at it now, the graphics appear quite simple – essentially just a collection of triangles and shapes firing at one another.
As a big fan of flight shooters, I have to say the controls in this game just don’t feel right on a SNES controller. I guess if you’re really dedicated, you could maybe get it working with flight sticks and an emulator, but that sounds like a lot of work! Honestly, when you can just pick up Star Fox 64 on the Switch and have an amazing time, it’s hard to justify the hassle.
Pokemon Red & Blue
Prepare For Trouble, And Make It Double
Pokémon Red and Blue were groundbreaking games that launched a phenomenon on the Game Boy. They are the foundation of the hugely successful Pokémon franchise, which continues to be popular thirty years later. Though still impressive for their time – boasting a fantastic story and a well-balanced selection of Pokémon – some aspects feel dated compared to later installments in the series.
Honestly, getting around the game world feels really slow, and the Pokemon battles drag on forever. Plus, it’s a serious grind because the EXP share is so limited! I think there are just better ways to revisit these stories – the FireRed and LeafGreen remakes are fantastic and available on Switch, and honestly, they’re a much smoother experience.
Super Smash Bros.
Imagine Me And You, And You And Me
When Super Smash Bros. first came out in the late 90s, it was a huge and unexpected hit. Many people remember its catchy TV commercials. Bringing together so many popular Nintendo characters in one fighting game was a completely new idea. While the roster felt large back then, looking at it now, the game actually has a relatively small number of playable characters.
Okay, so I recently went back to the original Super Smash Bros. on N64, and honestly, the amount of content is pretty weak compared to even the GameCube version. Especially when you consider Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has literally every character ever made! It’s hard to justify playing the N64 game unless you’re just feeling super nostalgic. And honestly, the controls just don’t feel as good as I remember. They’re clunky compared to what we’re used to now.
Resident Evil
Itchy, Tasty, Clunky
While not the first survival horror game, Resident Evil is widely considered to have established the standard for the genre, and it will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026. The game takes place in the Spencer Mansion, where players can choose to play as either Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield. Both characters experience a similar storyline, but face different challenges and team up with different partners along the way.
While the original Resident Evil was frightening for its time, the outdated graphics aren’t as scary today. The biggest issue now is the clunky ‘tank controls,’ which make the game difficult to enjoy. Adding to the frustration, the limited inventory forces a lot of unnecessary backtracking. Considering the excellent GameCube remake and its updated HD version with modern controls, there’s little reason to play the original PlayStation version now.
Dragon Warrior 7 (PS1)
Get Ready To Grind
Originally released in North America as Dragon Warrior 7 in 2001, this game is now better known as Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. Even when it first came out, the graphics looked a bit old-fashioned, similar to an upgraded SNES game. Despite this, it was a charming game with the reliably solid turn-based combat that Dragon Quest is known for.
Back in 2001, the original game demanded a lot of patience from players. It didn’t offer much guidance, started slowly, and required a huge amount of repetitive effort to level up. While dedicated players could overcome these challenges, today’s excellent remakes on systems like the 3DS, Switch, and PlayStation 5 make the original PS1 version unnecessary unless you’re curious to see just how much the game has been improved.
Duke Nukem 3D
The King Is Dated
The 1990s saw huge growth in first-person shooter games, starting with titles like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. While both of those games are still enjoyable today, Duke Nukem 3D hasn’t aged as well, despite its graphics still looking decent for using sprite-based 3D models.
The game’s humor feels very dated and comes across as overly dramatic and cringeworthy. The levels are poorly designed, often leaving players confused about where to go or what to do. The shooting doesn’t feel satisfying or impactful like in games such as Halo. Similar to many 90s parody movies, Duke Nukem 3D is probably best enjoyed as a relic of its time. While the 2016 remaster improves playability, the core issues remain.
Tomb Raider
A Swing And A Miss
The original Tomb Raider, a hugely popular game on the PlayStation 1, will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026. Players enjoyed the open-ended exploration of ancient tombs and caves as Lara Croft, who quickly became a favorite character, especially among male gamers in the 1990s. Similar to Resident Evil, the game has awkward controls, but it’s even more noticeable here because the game also requires precise platforming.
Failing a jump by just a little and then dying was annoying in the original Tomb Raider back in 1996, and it’s even more frustrating now. Luckily, there are better ways to play the game today, like Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and with the upcoming full remake, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.
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2026-03-23 05:10