Gaming What games do you think are Timeless?

[Noside]

I'm talking about games that you personally feel are timeless ones that you can play today, tomorrow,next week, month, or year, but I don't mean in a row. What I mean is you can play it today and like a year later pick it up again and play.

There's the obvious games like Tetris,Sonic,Sports games,Megaman,Fighting games like Street fighter,Mario,RE,Air fighters like Ikaruga and R-type,SH, and other games I can't remember to name right now.

Edit note:This is my first thread, so thanks for telling me Desbreko. I'll elaborate on my games.

Ones that I personally feel are timeless for myself are:

1.Kirby's Superstar, my favorite character in a variety of stories. Every story was great and they had variety in them. There were the regular games, a racing story, a treasure hunt, and it even had a boss battle game. The mini game Samurai Kirby was a very fun test of reflexes. I think what makes it timeless is it's simplicity, anyone can play this game and enjoy it.

2.Goldeneye, this is definately a game I can't get tired of, especially with friends. Competition makes any game good and this is one that lets the competition flow pretty well. Who's the best at mines? Grenades? Pistols? Just a constant medlay of combat. Single player was always fun once all the cheats were gained. Slow motion and bombs was my favorite mix of fun, lay down the bombs and watch the enemies slowly fly. I think of this game as timeless because I never tire of playing this game with my friends.

3.Star Fox 64, just takes an hour to beat and I've beaten it more than a hundred times. The music, dialogue, and combat was perfect for it's time. The music kept up the tempo and mood of the game and the dialogue kept things interesting. The combat was a great, I think it was the first game with a barrel roll, I'm not sure. This game is timeless to me because it was like a perfect package, lots of action and cool music. Didn't really expect much of a story from an air fighter so I got what I wanted.

4.SSB/M, this is thee party game for Nintendo fans, hell I played it in school during lunch time with a bunch of other students for 6 years. Nothing like watching Nintendo mascots beating the hell out of eachother. The competition this game creates between people is what makes it timeless. All the dodgiing and fighting of this game can make it really tense to play and to watch.

5.Simpsons Hit and Run, two words "Simpsons Fan". This is the definative game for Simpsons fans. It has atleast 1 reference to nearly every episode of the series. Driving around the town listening to the dialogue is always entertaining and it's really great to think back to old episodes when playing. With time it can go stale, but after watching a Simpsons episode a wanting to play the game can be renewed which makes this game timeless.

6.Ocarina of Time, first off it's a great story,good music, and really cool backgrounds. For me it's the story that drives me to beat it again and again. I like this story and the atmosphere of all the places you can visit. I rode around Hyrule a lot just listening to the music and randomly shooting stuff with arrows. All these great things in one package is what I think makes me revisit this game a lot.

7.Eternal Darkness, the story was great and the sanity effects were genius. This is a really simple game with great music, dialogue, and presentation. Beating it again and again never gets tired with all the sanity effects making things more interesting and the story getting to an exciting point atleast once every 3 scenes. I feel it's timeless because of it's story and simplicity, it's not a difficult game so it plays like a really long movie that you can jump into at anytime.


Hope ya'll enjoy any memories you have as you make your list.

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]Actually, it would be nice if people would refrain from simply posting a list of games, as posts that don't tell anything about why you think certain games are timeless and just give a list will be deleted. Without any sort of detail, lists of games are bland are boring to read, and don't encourage any kind of discussion. So please, try to at least write a short paragraph about each game you list.

But anyway, there are two games that have stood the test of time for me better than all else. They're the two games that I've played, maybe not the longest, but the most times. I first played them on the Super NES, and then when they were re-released on the Game Boy Advance, I bought them as soon as I could. And I continue to go back and play them every now and then.

The first game is my all-time favorite, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Spanning both the SNES and GBA versions, I've played through this game seven times, and each time it's been just as fun as the first. What really makes this game so fun for me, even after I've memorized pretty much every inch of it, is the brilliant overworld and dungeon layouts mixed with the wide variety of monsters and weapons. Fighting a room full of enemies or a boss is always fun, especially when you give yourself challenges or just experiment using different weapons on enemies. (For example, I had never thought of using the Bow & Arrows on Vitreous before my last time through the game, but it turns out that arrows work really well against the small eyeballs.) I usually learn something new each time I replay the game, which really helps keep it fun and interesting after playing it so many times.

The second game would be Super Mario World, which is probably my second overall favorite game, or close to it. Over both the SNES and GBA versions, I've played through it approximately 12 times (I say approximately because I can't quite remember how many times I played through on the SNES), and three of those were right in a row when I got the GBA port. Super Mario World is, in my opinion, the best 2D platformer I've ever played. I love blazing through the levels as fast as I can, then going back through and taking it slower to pick up every last Yoshi Coin in the game -- there's just so many ways to play each level, especially with the addition of switching between Mario and Luigi in the GBA version. This is a game that I can pick up anytime, anywhere, and enjoy playing.[/color]

[BlueYoshi]

I don't think I can call any game that I've played timeless, because I have a really short patience and can't be bothered to re-run through things that I've already done time after time. I more or less fit in the mood-swinging type, if you know what I mean. I'll play a game if I have the urge, and if not, I won't. But that's just me. Mind you, I say this in correlation with certain genres.

Right now, I'm not playing through any newly released game... just a few oldies. Super Metroid on the SNES is one of them. The last time I played it was when it was first released here, so as you'd imagine, it's as if I'm playing a brand new game here, only with out-dated graphics. I plan on mastering and going for 100% completion after I beat the game, because I know there's so much cool stuff that I haven't got yet, which supposedly make the game a lot more fun. It's truly a great game, and to not play it would virtually be a sin.

But my point is, I know I won't want to play Super Metroid again after mastering it, though. Or not for a long while, anyway.

I think that just about any Mario game is timeless, because of the structure and playability of them (well, probably not SMS). It doesn't take a genius to jump over and on things in this game, nor do you have to be one to have fun with it.

[Brasil]

I'd actually list KOTOR I as a timeless game for me. I start playing it again after a few months, and I still really, really enjoy it, and it still feels really fresh, even though I've gone through it a few times now.

I don't know what it is about it, but it just hits me each time I play. KOTOR is really just a really good game, I guess. I suppose, too, that since I've never played through it going fully Dark Side, maxing out the Dark Side powers, I'm really enjoying it on this replay.

After I beat KOTOR as full Dark Side, I'm going to start another file and do a pseudo-minimalist route, only doing level-ups when I achieve Jedi status, so I can fully max out on the Dark Side powers, hehe.

It seems to me that the more open-ended a game is, or at least the higher replayability it has, the more timeless it becomes. KOTOR, Metroid Prime, SMB...these are games that you can enjoy again and again, because they're done so well that you want to replay them.

[Gavin]

[size=1]Hmm interesting...

I'm not sure which games I'd classify as timeless, and those that I found fun to just go back and play for a few days in a act of nostalgia. I suppose though that my timeless games are to be found on a wide variety of consoles ranging from the [B]Sega Megadrive[/B] to the [B]Nintendo 64[/B] even as far as the [B]Gamecube[/b] and [B]Play Station 2[/b]. I can?t really think of every great game that I?ve played so I?m just going to pick a few off the top of my head.

[b]Streets of Rage:[/b] Well Streets of Rage came as part of a Three-in-One cart when my father bought the Megadrive for my brother and I, I'd say it was one of the first games that I ever just sat and played for hours. Dave and I just used to play this for ages trying to beat it in a faster time than before, I think our record was 4 hours or somewhere around there. I don?t know I just found it to be a very addictive little game, which I still find fun to go back today and play. On a side note I learned that the music to Streets of Rage was a step up in terms of anything that had been done before, or something along those lines.

[b]GoldenEye 64:[/b] One of the most addictive games I have ever played and very nearly one of the best, it pains me to think that by releasing GoldenEye II they?re grossly insulting one of the Nintendo 64?s finest games just to cash in on the name. Everything about GoldenEye was exceptional in it?s class, that may be a mingling of fact and nostalgia but it?s still fairly accurate, the combat, the character, [u]the multiplayer mode[/u]. This game set the bar to which all Movie-Game conversions should set their standard to, hell I don?t think there?s ever been a better James Bond Multiplayer experience than this.

[b]Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast:[/b] Alright I?ll admit that as a Star Wars fanatic I may be slightly biased in my opinion of this, but since this is based on our opinions I guess that makes no difference. I?ve played plenty of Star Wars games to know a gem when I play one, and ladies and gentlemen this is the bloody 4-inch diamond of the lot. There was just so much to this game to appeal to even a non-Star Wars fan, I mean come on how many people don?t want to wield a lightsaber even if it is only in a videogame. The storyline to this game was slightly weak but sequels do tend to have that problem, now by weak I mean FFX weak not crappy weak. The combat and Force Powers were one of the coolest experiences I?ve ever had and my only gripe is that I have to wait another 4 months to play the sequel when I get a new computer.

[b]Grand Theft Auto ? Vice City:[/b] Mindless Killing anyone ?, this was the game that made the PS2 GTAs fun again, GTA III wasn?t fun and I?m not afraid to say it, the game had a lot of things that needed polishing to make it a game like Vice City. When I first actually played Vice City I remember it took me a few minutes to get used to the colouring of the game, everything was just so 80s bright and funky and it actually took a few days to appreciate it compared to the drab graphics of GTA III. I just found this to epitomise Mindless Killing in videogames, you?re driving along the street listening to too much V-Rock when you get the urge to just murder a few dozen people for no reason. The story, graphics and mechanics rocked and I really hope GTA: SA is to VC what VC was to III.

Well that?s it I suppose.[/size]

[2010DigitalBoy]

timeless eh?

1. Phantasy Star Online. I just cant get enough of this game! If Im on four player, I can just play the same level over and over until my brain implodes. Leveling up and buying better weapons never gets old. And kicking the crap out of the cave beasts gets funner and funner.

2. Golden Sun. I could play this game for the remainder of my life. Just playing and playing until I get sick of looking at the charachters and the attacks. VIVA LA DJIN!

3. Metroid Fusion/ Metroid Zero Mission. Two awesome yet easy games that never get boring, since basically your just blasting a ton of monsters to bits and solving some slightly tough puzzles.

[THE EVIL EYE]

The one game that would strike me as timeless would have to be Dynasty Warriors 4, Okay so the AI is a little patchy but if there is close to 1000 warriors on the map sometimes then you can forgive it. The things that makes it timeless is that you can just keep on doing the map to build up your character and the incredibly fun battle system.

Honestly, [spoiler]Have you ever played a game where your character can have up to eight bodyguards which I add also grow in experience, Where the objective of each map is to kill off the lead general but to get there first you have to killl another general or gain a item or get an elephant to ride so you can destroy those pesky barriers and arrow towers that block your way?[/spoiler]

[::Ex-Soldier::]

I'm suprised no one said final fantasy vii, but that game is definatley timeless. It never gets old with many different things to do after the game, and even after that, traveling around, collecting materia and mastering it...it's great to pass the time, and also the replay value is great because the beginning was definatley the best inside the polluted city. The character designs and city designs as well as storyline and music make it an amazing game that can be played over and over and over again.

I'd also like to agree that legend of zelda ocarina of time was also a great game with many things to do, and a great soundtrack. Very timeless.

[BlueYoshi]

[quote name='ThatOneOddDude']3. Metroid Fusion/ Metroid Zero Mission. Two awesome yet easy that never get boring, since basically your just blasting a ton of monsters to bits and solving some slightly tough puzzles.[/quote]

I'd be inclined to argue with that and say that Super Metroid owns these two for free, my friend, but in terms of timelessness, you're right. Zero Mission has a hard mode that I'm still trying to wrap my finger around (can't remember if Fusion does... it's a crap game, anyhow), where Super Metroid does not.

Metroid Prime was a great game, and it had a hard mode, but I like my Metroids in 2D. But still, Zero Mission is a bit so-so for me, so I'm still waiting for my ultimate Metroid game, heh.

[Desbreko]

[QUOTE=Wingnut Ninja]I'd be inclined to argue with that and say that Super Metroid owns these two for free, my friend, but in terms of timelessness, you're right. Zero Mission has a hard mode that I'm still trying to wrap my finger around (can't remember if Fusion does... it's a crap game, anyhow), where Super Metroid does not.

Metroid Prime was a great game, and it had a hard mode, but I like my Metroids in 2D. But still, Zero Mission is a bit so-so for me, so I'm still waiting for my ultimate Metroid game, heh.[/QUOTE][color=#4B0082]Yeah, I'd agree that Super Metroid is better than either GBA Metroid game. ... But calling Fusion a crap game? I think that's going too far; I enjoyed Fusion pretty much the same as Zero Mission, even though Fusion didn't have varying difficulty levels to extend the replay value. For me, both GBA Metroids stand up to Super Metroid pretty well, they're just not quite in the same league.

Personally though, even with Zero Mission's hard mode, I find Super Metroid to be more timeless. I mean, when I play through Zero Mission again (I'm sure I will eventually, even though I've already beaten it on each difficulty), I'll probably just play on the normal difficulty level. Hard mode was a nice challenge, but some parts of it were just annoying; I found normal mode to be more actual fun. And having just recently played through Super Metroid again after not having played it in a long time, I can say that I had a lot more fun playing it again than I had with Zero Mission when I was playing through that for the first time. Very few games actually increase in fun each time I go back and replay them, but Super Metroid is one of those few.[/color]

[Shinmaru]

Wow, you picked several games that I definitely agree with. You rock already lol.

[quote name='Noside']1.Kirby's Superstar, my favorite character in a variety of stories. Every story was great and they had variety in them. There were the regular games, a racing story, a treasure hunt, and it even had a boss battle game. The mini game Samurai Kirby was a very fun test of reflexes. I think what makes it timeless is it's simplicity, anyone can play this game and enjoy it.[/quote]

Definitely. I [i]loved[/i] Kirby Superstar when it first came out on the SNES, and I'm certain that I would still have fun with the game if it came out today. You're spot-on with the different varities of the games, and that's part of what made Kirby Superstar fun for me. Plus, when you have three games (Revenge of the Meta-Knight, The Great Cave Offensive and Milky Way Wishes) that could be full-fledged Kirby games on their own, well, you know you're getting a good package.

[quote]2.Goldeneye, this is definately a game I can't get tired of, especially with friends. Competition makes any game good and this is one that lets the competition flow pretty well. Who's the best at mines? Grenades? Pistols? Just a constant medlay of combat. Single player was always fun once all the cheats were gained. Slow motion and bombs was my favorite mix of fun, lay down the bombs and watch the enemies slowly fly. I think of this game as timeless because I never tire of playing this game with my friends.[/quote]

I prefer Perfect Dark, because there's more to play around with, but Goldeneye is awesome, as well. [i]Great[/i] level design that makes certain that you're not bored with only four players available for deathmatches, and tons of different weapons. Really ahead of its time in regards to console first-person shooters, and arguably still one of the best, even seven years after its first release.

[quote]3.Star Fox 64, just takes an hour to beat and I've beaten it more than a hundred times. The music, dialogue, and combat was perfect for it's time. The music kept up the tempo and mood of the game and the dialogue kept things interesting. The combat was a great, I think it was the first game with a barrel roll, I'm not sure. This game is timeless to me because it was like a perfect package, lots of action and cool music. Didn't really expect much of a story from an air fighter so I got what I wanted.[/quote]

One of my favorite N64 games. Though it's a bit short, there's good replay value in it with the collecting of medals and the multiplayer mode (even though it's really only decent, at best). To me, it's so much better than the original Star Fox, it's not even funny. A great shooter like this is always timeless :)

[quote]7.Eternal Darkness, the story was great and the sanity effects were genius. This is a really simple game with great music, dialogue, and presentation. Beating it again and again never gets tired with all the sanity effects making things more interesting and the story getting to an exciting point atleast once every 3 scenes. I feel it's timeless because of it's story and simplicity, it's not a difficult game so it plays like a really long movie that you can jump into at anytime.[/QUOTE]

I'm always a sucker for Eternal Darkness love lol. This might be my favorite GameCube game; it really is that much fun, for me. Great story, with awesome voice acting and well-produced cutscenes, with fun action and cool levels taking through the game. It really is a fantastic, timeless game, with lots of replay value, due to the differences in the game depending on [spoiler]which idol you choose at the beginning of the game as Pious.[/spoiler]

I think I'll throw Skies of Arcadia Legends into the mix, as well. Great RPG, arguably one of the best released in the past few years, with everything that an RPG lover could go for. It has great characters, a solid story, a decent battle system, tons of sidequests and it's challenging. A game like this is fun no matter what era it's released in.

[BlueYoshi]

[quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082]Yeah, I'd agree that Super Metroid is better than either GBA Metroid game. ... But calling Fusion a crap game? I think that's going too far; I enjoyed Fusion pretty much the same as Zero Mission, even though Fusion didn't have varying difficulty levels to extend the replay value. For me, both GBA Metroids stand up to Super Metroid pretty well, [b]they're just not quite in the same league.[/b'][/color][/quote]

The bolded text is one of the better ways of putting it, I suppose.

I didn't feel that Fusion was up to par with the other Metroid games, that's all. Though the idea of the SA-X was cool. I still stand by my words, though. :D

One thing I'm really eager to try out in Zero Mission is fighting Ridley in the earlier stages of the game on hard mode, because you wouldn't be as powerful then as you would be in accordance to the game's order. Kraid is a wussy, however, heh.

[Noside]

[QUOTE=Shinmaru]

1. I prefer Perfect Dark, because there's more to play around with, but Goldeneye is awesome, as well. Great level design that makes certain that you're not bored with only four players available for deathmatches, and tons of different weapons. Really ahead of its time in regards to console first-person shooters, and arguably still one of the best, even seven years after its first release.

2. I think I'll throw Skies of Arcadia Legends into the mix, as well. Great RPG, arguably one of the best released in the past few years, with everything that an RPG lover could go for. It has great characters, a solid story, a decent battle system, tons of sidequests and it's challenging. A game like this is fun no matter what era it's released in.[/QUOTE]

Quote note: Using numbers because I don't know how to split quotes.

1. Perfect Dark was definately an incredible game and it is indeed timeless. It's packed full of missions and there's a lot that can be done in multiplayer. The prospects of Perfect Dark's Multiplayer mode is what makes me think that game is definately Timeless. All the different mindsets and skills for the CPUs kept it interesting, especially those pesky Perfect Sims.

2. I definately have to agree with that. I played it on the dreamcast and was greatly satisfied with that game. When it came out as Legends on the Cube I bought it on the first day it came out, they kept the game the same and didn't change anything. They did add new stuff that made the game even better and it didn't mess up the original story at all. It's just a shame they couldn't have kept or expanded Pinta's quest, a VMU game on DC.

[Semjaza]

To me a timeless game is not just a game I greatly enjoyed, but one that fits in the definiton of timeless... that is, a game that stands the test of time in its original form. Many games I really enjoyed in the past have definitely not aged well. While I like many of the games mentioned thus far, I do not think they've stood up very well. I feel like people thus far are just treating this as a standard favorites thread in many ways.

1. Super Mario Bros. 3

The NES version of this game is still an absolute joy to play and a lot of fun. The ideas presented in it have been echoed upon for years and it still has an influence on platformers today in a round-about way.

Sure, you have the SNES version of the game with updated graphics, which is all well and good. However, the game never needed this upgrade. It still looks and sounds decent for an 8-bit game and plays flawlessly.

2. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

In my opinion, this game is still absolutely gorgeous compared to the general 2D standard on consoles nowadays. Add to this a great, fitting soundtrack and excellent gameplay with lots to accomplish and you have what is really just a perfect game.

3. Earthbound

For some people, this style of RPG isn't what they're into. That's fine. However, I absolutely love the game, particularly because it's just so charming and quirky. The graphics were relatively simple even when the game was new, so they manage to stand up. The art style just keeps it working.

What really makes it work, however, is the absolutely phenominal localization job by Dan Owsen. If someone played it now, I don't know if they'd realize the full importance of how well it was translated. At the time, the other RPGs on the market were fairly rigid in translation, such as FFIV and FFVI. This game completely turned that upside down and I honestly don't think it's level of localization perfection was even matched until halfway through the Playstation/Saturn/N64 years.

4. Pac-man

I play this game to death even now. I never think "wow, this game is ugly". It's charming in an antiquated sort of way and the bizarre beeping music is just plain fun.

5. Tetris

There's a reason people go back to the original Tetris and eventually ignore the newfangled, altered versions like Tetris Plus, Bombtris, Tetris 2 and Tetris Worlds. This game was already all it was supposed to be when it first came out. I'd rather pop in the old NES or GameBoy versions than play any of the modern ones.

6. Samba de Amigo

This is just one of those games that is so trippy and fun to play (with maracas anyway), that I can't see it ever not being fun or interesting. I'm likely to play this until I can no longer move my arms anymore. I love music games (other than DDR, which I think stinks).

7. Maniac Mansion

A good point and click adventure game stands up for a very long time. Maniac Mansion is no exception. I know exactly how to complete the game, yet I still find myself playing through it just because it's that enjoyable. The humor still stands up too.

There's more, but I am done for now lol.

[Desbreko]

[quote name='Wingnut Ninja']One thing I'm really eager to try out in Zero Mission is fighting Ridley in the earlier stages of the game on hard mode, because you wouldn't be as powerful then as you would be in accordance to the game's order. Kraid is a wussy, however, heh.[/quote][color=#4B0082]Actually, I find Ridley to be the easiest boss in the entire game, on all three difficulty levels. I think it only takes something like four or five super missiles to bring him down ... and I believe I had four max when I played through on hard mode. If I remember correctly, he got in all of two hits before dying, and I actually ended up taking less damage than when I fought him on normal mode.

But anyway, this isn't the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=36379][u]Metroid: Zero Mission[/u][/url] thread, so I'll get back on track.

About Skies of Arcadia Legends, I also have to agree with that. I just finished playing it for the first time a couple days ago, and I can definitely see myself going back and replaying the game a year or two from now and having it still be lots of fun. What first looked like a pretty bland story turned out to be very interesting, with lots of little twists that got me more and more into the game the farther I got. I didn't really find the battle system to be anything special, and I actually have a couple gripes with it, but I did highly enjoy the airship battles and most of the normal boss battles. It may not be my favorite RPG, but one that I know I'll enjoy if I decide to replay it.[/color]

[LizerisCnh]

[b]Final Fantasy VII[/b], to be true. I know it's greatness played out and overexaggerated, but its the only game that, after seven years, still interests me. I periodically find the inspiration to purchase a new playstation just to play it again, then sell it. Final Fantasy VII was a breakthrough in role gameplay and was slightly ahead of it's time. The story is rebelious yet dishearteningly sweet, the musical score is quite overachieving, and the pre-rendered backgrounds are lush. I acknowledge that there are better games out there, but few have the classic staying power of Final Fantasy VII, or VI for that matter as well. I've yet to be as impressed again by Square.

[b]Goldeneye[/b]. Does this even [i]need[/i] an explanation? The first console FPS to ever compete with the funfactor of PC. Angry at your mom? Goldeneye. Want to kill your siblings? Goldeneye. Hate your dad? Goldeneye. Getting picked on at school? Goldeneye. Having a party? Goldeneye. Its the answer to life.

[Korey]

[quote name='LizerisCnh][b]Final Fantasy VII[/b'], to be true. I know it's greatness played out and overexaggerated, but its the only game that, after seven years, still interests me. I periodically find the inspiration to purchase a new playstation just to play it again, then sell it. Final Fantasy VII was a breakthrough in role gameplay and was slightly ahead of it's time. The story is rebelious yet dishearteningly sweet, the musical score is quite overachieving, and the pre-rendered backgrounds are lush. I acknowledge that there are better games out there, but few have the classic staying power of Final Fantasy VII, or VI for that matter as well. I've yet to be as impressed again by Square.[/quote]

ff7 did have a lot of gameplay elements that made it shine as one of the must have games of the last decade. the backgrounds were also undisputedly some of the best, the ps1 had seen in its lifetime. As for your biff with square, i personally think square is developing some really good titles that can stand the test of time. for example final fantasy tactics advance is so addictive, i would keep playing it just to reach the [/SPOILER] 300 mission [/SPOILER]. also star ocean three came out recently and it looks absopositively gorgeous!



[b]Goldeneye[/b]. Does this even [i]need[/i] an explanation? The first console FPS to ever compete with the funfactor of PC. Angry at your mom? Goldeneye. Want to kill your siblings? Goldeneye. Hate your dad? Goldeneye. Getting picked on at school? Goldeneye. Having a party? Goldeneye. Its the answer to life.[/QUOTE]

Really i think that goldeneye is also a must have game for those who love fps. the multiplayer mode had so may options that i didnt have to worry about someone pickin up the whole big gun thing without being able to retalitate back.

[LizerisCnh]

[quote]ff7 did have a lot of gameplay elements that made it shine as one of the must have games of the last decade. the backgrounds were also undisputedly some of the best, the ps1 had seen in its lifetime. As for your biff with square, i personally think square is developing some really good titles that can stand the test of time. for example final fantasy tactics advance is so addictive, i would keep playing it just to reach the [SPOILER] 300 mission [/SPOILER]. also star ocean three came out recently and it looks absopositively gorgeous![/quote]

Well, almost. Star Ocean (was and) still is property of it's respective subsidiary development studio under Enix. Though the Square Enix merger settled with Square's CEO as Head of Square Enix, because Square's stocks were more valuable, Square's franchises are still developed independently, as are Enix's. The titles released since the merger are simply label mates. Star Ocean:Til the End of Time is not Square. As for Final Fantasy Tactics, yes, I was heavily addicted. I stayed up for 3 straight weeks playing it. Too linear for me though, and the story lacked substance. It was like reading a fictional, chaptered history book. Dialogue. Battle. Next page. Battle. Dialogue. Next page. Redundancy never scores well, but to each their own. I think it's still too young to conclude to it's timelessness. Also, it's current audience is the handheld gamer. A massive percentage of people who own GBA's are under 16. I don't give much credit to the opinions of people who play handhelds. :)

[Charles]

The 32-bit generation probably suffered the greatest lack of timeless games because of the withered state of the three dimensional graphics and the emphasis on detached cinematic gameplay. Metal Gear Solid is a perfect example of this description. Some games, although ugly by today's standards (at least in my opinion), like Mario 64 and Goldeneye withstand their dated technology simply because they're both revolutionary and enjoyable to play. I wouldn't place Goldeneye in the coveted status of "timeless" though, simply because very little games in its genre could be referred to as such. Don't get me wrong, anyone who knows anything about my preferences knows that I love Goldeneye, but I think the genre it belongs to mostly relies on features and effective controls rather than "magical" design.

I consider most of the games Semjaza mentioned, timeless. All of the original Nintendo versions hold up incredibly well and I still enjoy playing both Pac Man and Tetris. I've put a good deal of time into both at Group Sounds, and hold the high score for Pac Man, as a matter of fact. :D

Other games that come to mind are the Mega Man games. I bought the collection when it came out and I enjoyed it thoroughly. At no time did I feel like I was compromising my tastes to suit what I was playing. The Street Fighter games are another good example. I'm not rushing out to purchase that respective collection, but I'd say even those games compare favorably to current fighters. The balance between the characters has never been desirable, but it just "feels right."

I can't go without mentioning the original Punch-Out. I originally bought Animal Crossing just for the purpose of playing it. One would think a game based on simple patterns and reflexes would grow boring and tedious, but I could literally play it forever without tiring of it.

The 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog titles deserve to be brought up; they're superior to most platformers of today--[i]especially[/i] the next generation Sonic titles. They still look extremely colorful, fast, and the level design is terrific.

[Korey]

[quote name='LizerisCnh']Well, almost. Star Ocean (was and) still is property of it's respective subsidiary development studio under Enix. Though the Square Enix merger settled with Square's CEO as Head of Square Enix, because Square's stocks were more valuable, Square's franchises are still developed independently, as are Enix's. The titles released since the merger are simply label mates. Star Ocean:Til the End of Time is not Square. As for Final Fantasy Tactics, yes, I was heavily addicted. I stayed up for 3 straight weeks playing it. Too linear for me though, and the story lacked substance. It was like reading a fictional, chaptered history book. Dialogue. Battle. Next page. Battle. Dialogue. Next page. Redundancy never scores well, but to each their own. I think it's still too young to conclude to it's timelessness. Also, it's current audience is the handheld gamer. A massive percentage of people who own GBA's are under 16. I don't give much credit to the opinions of people who play handhelds. :)[/quote]

that's true about start ocean being mostly developed by enix, but if you look at the credits, some of the head programmers do actually work on some square projects as well! (why dont people ever look at the credits?) i guess that's my weird thing. also ffta did lack the dynamic story that was present in the original fftactics, but it was better than certain rpg's i know *golden sun* cough cough.

also im under sixteen but i primarily into the arcade gaming scene. my friends recommend ffta to me. i agree with your lack of cred to handhelders, but dont forget that handhelds have some of the timless games as well.

[2010DigitalBoy]

Ive never played super metroid......

4. Megaman. The origonal megaman was pretty hard to play mostly because some of the levels were tough to navigate, but it is timeless nonetheless.

5. Pokemon Puzzle Challenge. Everytime I pick this game up, i can play it for hours. Its just that cool. I never did get the N64 version though...

6. .hack..... anything...... those games are cool, with semi-infinite dungeons, and lots of party combinations, the different types of gameplay seem infinite, it geets boring after a few hours, but you could play it again every few days.