Do you get that itch? That romanticized need to go back and visit old friends in Mario Brothers, Sim City, Myst, or Final Fantasy? I occasionally bound over to my computer or Super Nintendo with boyish glee, excited to relive the stress-free days of childhood. Except that friend is always way less good-looking than you remember. They shuffle around like geriatric patients drooling and wetting themselves until, with a sinking feeling, you reach over and shut off the machine, realizing that maybe those games weren’t actually that good to begin with. Somberly you show your old friends out, feeling slightly guilty that you’ve just invited over way better looking friends in Call of Duty 4.

Gaming feels way different now than it did back then. Mario Brothers was like that wacky friend you invite over for a good time. Now that games cost as much as Hollywood blockbusters the relationship seems a lot more businesslike. Maybe it’s because I’m older now, but when I pop in a new game I feel like I’m shaking hands with someone in a business suit.

“Good afternoon Mr. Root.  Our committee of game testers determined this car chase section to have a FunMeter™ rating of 7.8.”

New games are all grown up somehow. They drink beer and party like a frat boy. They walk in slow motion away from explosions. What happened! What did they do with Sonic Pinball!!!!???

Luckily some worthwhile games are still out there. They’re covered in dust, neglected, ignored, but still aging like a fine wine. These games are the best of the best, the graphics may suck, but they’ve never been topped by modern titles. They’re funnier, they play better, they have better storylines, they have heart.

That is the goal of this series of articles, track down the old games still worth playing. Here are some of ours, what are yours?

Doom 2
Natural Selection