Growing up, I loved playing through older titles. There’s something about their soundtrack, graphics, and gameplay that kept me coming back to replay. Thanks to Virtual Console on the Wii U and Switch, it makes it easy to pick up older games again.

What makes a timeless game?

It’s not just about the game experience. They represent a moment in your life. Focus on the time when you played. Which month did you get it? Who did you play with? How did it make you feel?

Whenever I replay an older game, I can still remember my first experience and cherish those memories. It’s like coming back to an old friend.

Here’s what I consider to be timeless games.

Super Mario World

How could you not love this timeless game? The game featured bright and colorful graphics, a catchy soundtrack, the introduction of Yoshi, and provided hours of fun. I have fond memories playing this game with my dad when I was small. I handed the game to him when levels were too tricky for me at the time, and I’d watch with fascination as he completed the stages. We shared many laughs.

Despite its release in 1991, the game’s graphics have consistently served as inspiration for ROM-hack gaming. Fans would modify the gameplay, dialogue, and levels with humorous results. This eventually led to Nintendo creating Super Mario Maker in 2015 with great success allowing full creativity. Its sequel, Super Mario Maker 2, released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019.

When I learned my little sister didn’t have a chance to play it yet, I knew I had to change that. She had a blast and hilarity ensued. I honestly wish I recorded it!

Anyone at any age can enjoy this. I still find myself humming its soundtrack.

Yoshi’s Story

This may be an odd choice considering Yoshi’s Island exists but hear me out. I thought this game’s soundtrack by Japanese composer Kazumi Totaka was brilliant. It takes a special talent to use the same song and remix it in over 15 ways. Each song had a completely different feel and vibe. Not to mention, this game featured Yoshi at its cutest; this game is Totaka’s debut as the voice of Yoshi.

Most people dismiss this game as too easy. I recommend trying to do an all melon run to make the game more challenging. Its’ pop-up storybook graphics and adorable songs the baby Yoshis sing make this an endearing game. If you need a happy boost, this is it.

Mario Party 2

People say playing this franchise tested the power of friendships. This game has some traditional features of playing on a board with some twists. It featured hilarious minigames to earn coins until you had enough for a star and had fun happenings depending on the stage you played. One of the cutest design features was the introduction of the characters wearing costumes that suited the varying boards. There was Pirate Land where the Mario cast dressed as pirates, Horror Land had a Halloween theme, and so on. I wish this was a feature in every Mario Party, though! What made this game so entertaining was the silly music and expressive voice acting. Charles Martinet (who voices Mario, Luigi, and many others) is superb at voicing cheers, groans, and screams. To this day, it remains the ultimate party game.

Pokémon Black and White

The game’s chosen location of New York being the face of Pokémon during that time was wonderful to experience. I spent my childhood in New York, so I instantly adored the connection. The designs of the Pokémon were fun, unique, and provided a breath of fresh air. Its gameplay had great design aesthetics with Pokémon reaching the height of its pixel style. I adored the sound effects and its catchy soundtrack. I still find myself listening to Accumula Town. Other Pokémon games were enjoyable, but this game allowed for a more serious tone and challenged players.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

If you’re a fan of customization with a wholesome community of players, then this is the game to try. This game embraces creativity by emphasizing there’s no wrong way to play. Animal Crossing is a warm mix of The Sims and Minecraft with relaxing elements. The game is charming and has a lot of personality. Your character plays a mayor role where you decorate your town to your heart’s content while befriending animal neighbors.

The game features the Dream Suite where you can visit another player’s town without affecting their town in real time. No one’s town is the same. Some people choose to have casual towns. Others implement theme towns such as focusing on one color (like an all-pink town), a single species town (like having all deer villagers to replicate a fairy tale like setting), creating your original concept (like creating a horror town like the famous Aida Village), or drawing inspiration from a movie or series. I recreated Pokémon into my town and had a blast. It helps how relaxing the game can be with its chill soundtrack and its great visuals. Many players are willing to help each other by sharing flowers, fruit, and other resources. All of these soothing elements led to the explosion of the franchise’s popularity with its successor, Animal Crossing: New Horizons during the height of the pandemic.

Honorable Mentions: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokémon Stadium 2, Super Mario Sunshine, & Metroid Prime.

So, which Nintendo games would you count as timeless?

 

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