Games that are timeless. You can go back and play them anytime and they are still great games. When most people think of timeless games, the Nintendo classics seem to come to mind, the Marios, and the Zeldas. To some, timeless classics means looking back at the Sega Genesis and games like Sonic 2 and Vectorman. To others, its the epic RPGs of the Playstation era and the crazy arcade fighters of the Saturn and Dreamcast.

Timeless games have always been fun. I think that’s something gamers have to look at even if the games haven’t aged well. If you can still enjoy those old games for a few hours at a time, then they can be deemed a classic.

RPGs such as Super Mario RPG, Fallout 2, Baldur’s Gate, Planescape Torment, Chrono Trigger, FFVII, and a host of others from the 1990s are timeless classics. In some form or another they have all helped shaped the modern RPG. Everything from post-apocalyptic to fantasy with dragons and magic missiles and onto the mushroom kingdom, each of these games are the perfect escape on a rainy weekend. Some of the games, especially for the PC, say Fallout 2 and BG can be found for next to nothing on something like Steam or GOG. Whereas Super Mario RPG or the original Chrono Trigger, you’d better already own the game if you want to play them.

Zelda games always make the list of classic games. Frankly, any Zelda game from Windwaker to Ocarina of Time to a Link to the Past, Zelda games have always aged well and are fun no matter what. It may be the recycled game play or the sense of adventure, but I have little trouble picking up a Zelda game that I last played 10 years ago and killing time for several hours. This is when you know you have a timeless classic.

Super Mario Brothers 3 is a great game and deserves a mention. I'm sure one day Super Mario Galaxy will make this list of timeless classics. I actually prefer to play Super Mario 64 or Super Mario World. It doesn’t matter, most Mario games have held up and are still a blast to play.

Fighting games for the most part, have not aged well graphically, especially the early 3D fighters. But games like Super Smash Brothers, Soul Calibur, Power Stone 2, Clayfighter, Street Fighter II, Darkstalkers, Mortal Kombat 2, and a host of others are still fun to play. Nothing better than picking up the controller and remembering how to throw a few fireballs.

Personally, there are a few other games I feel are timeless, like Deus Ex, Duke Nukem 3D, and Half Life are great examples. As FPS games they have not aged very well. But they are still great games to play. Deus Ex and Half-Life were about the story and the characters. Duke Nukem 3D was all about pushing the envelope, and is the perfect time waster for a few hours. Just think back in the mid to late 1990s, this is what everyone as raving about. I also love GTA: San Andreas. For me, this is a timeless classic. GTA SA comes from an era where the PS2 was king. This game contains hours and hours of mindless fun. Who can forget Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater? This is one of the first PS1 games I payed $50 for. Even though it looks terrible by today’s standards, gamers can not forget the unforgettable music and the endless trash talking from the two player mode.

So there you have it, a list of some timeless classics. Well, readers, what are some of your timeless classics? Are you hanging onto a particular system just for one game?

Please log in to leave comments.