What emulated games hold up in 2025?
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Hey all, I'm interested in playing some emulated games on my steamdeck, but I'm not sure where to start.
I've been having fun with Super Mario World, but a good chunk of that is because I played it a lot as a kid, so much of my enjoyment is from nostalgia.
Problem is, I didn't play many too many games when I was a kid...
What older games out there would you say hold up in 2025? So that regardless of the nostalgia factor, they can be enjoyed by someone like me
SSX Tricky, Mercenaries, Katamari Damacy, FIFA Street, the various Mario Kart games.
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Hey all, I'm interested in playing some emulated games on my steamdeck, but I'm not sure where to start.
I've been having fun with Super Mario World, but a good chunk of that is because I played it a lot as a kid, so much of my enjoyment is from nostalgia.
Problem is, I didn't play many too many games when I was a kid...
What older games out there would you say hold up in 2025? So that regardless of the nostalgia factor, they can be enjoyed by someone like me
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Starflight, on Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. The graphics don't look outdated, it just feels retro.
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There's a world of options out there and you need to be more specific with what sorts of games you enjoy. I've been emulating on my Switch for a while, but also recently bought a dedicated retro emulation console so I have quite a few recommendations.
For games that are literally still up to modern standards, you can go back to Wii, 3DS, PS Vita, PS3 and beyond and you've basically got games that will still hold up just fine.
For older games: PSP, PS2, SNES and GBA are gold mines of content.
I've found it difficult to get into PS1, N64 and Dreamcast gaming. This was a time when 3D graphics were just starting to be widely used and are so very dated. It's difficult to look past the terrible graphics without nostalgia goggles. I've had more success in going back to SNES and Mega Drive games.... At least they have great pixel graphics with suitable games (side scrollers, platformers, etc).
For specific games, I find it best to go to metacritic and look at their list of all time best games, and limit by console and then work through the best every reviews. This does miss a lot of games though and if you say what sort of games you like then people can make recommendations. There are tons of hidden gems and niches..... Rhythm games, block drop, quirky puzzle games, etc. E.g.:
Everybody's Golf 6 (PS3) - excellent arcadey golf game
Mercury Meltdown (PSP) - puzzle game about manipulating mercury blobs. Great to play entirely with the Steam Deck gyroscope.
GTA China Town wars (PSP) - top down GTA game, modernised beyond the GTA2 controls
Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii) - excellent rhythm games
Super Mario 3D land (3DS) - 2.5 D Mario. Really solid platformer.
Wipeout 2048 (PS Vita) - solid combat racer
Micro machines 2 (Mega Drive) - quirky top down racer. Excellent for multiplayer.
Crazy Taxi (PS2) - taxi driving, really crazy though
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Thank you for the recs. Part of the reason I wasn't more specific is because, in terms of retro games, I have no idea of what I like since I haven't really played any. Another part is that I want to know what you, the people, think holds up in 2025. And another part, I'm trying to keep my taste open -- my first exposure to video games was GameBoy games, then Halo on PC, then having an Xbox 360 and playing popular action-y games. Later I'd find a taste for action RPGs (after much picking up and putting down), and only in the last few years have I expanded that to more...traditional? slower, I guess...RPGs like BG3 and Disco Elysium...expanding to puzzle games, sidescrollers, bullethells. I know they're a lot different but I guess my point is, at one point, I found it hard to get into them, but over time I was able to figure them out and have fun. Still have never played a JRPG, so that's on the horizon for me. I enjoy when things "click" in my brain, and if it takes a long time, that's okay.
Some games that I've loved over my 25 or so years of consciousness:
My all time fav is Outer Wilds
RDR2
Disco Elysium
Balatro
Alan Wake 2
I'll always have a soft spot for Halo 1-Reach
Portal 1 and 2
Hades
Risk of Rain 2
Doom 2016
Batman: Arkham City
Dark Souls, Dark Souls 3, Sekiro
Dave the Diver
Vampire Survivors
INSIDE
(noticing none of these are retro games so idk if this is even helpful)
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Baldur's Gate 3
Dredge was cool but I didn't finish it
Witcher 3
Baba is You
Factorio was too addicting so I had to stop because it started feeling like work
GTA V because I enjoyed the satire
I have 2k+ hours in Rocket League since its the only game I can play while focusing on an audiobook or podcast or album.
Sounds pretentious because it is, but I like "heady" stuff, in games-terms I think that translates to things that expand my conception of what a game is and what it can do, or something that challenges me in a new way. But yeah, that's a long winded explanation of why I wasn't more specific regarding my taste.
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Thank you for the recs. Part of the reason I wasn't more specific is because, in terms of retro games, I have no idea of what I like since I haven't really played any. Another part is that I want to know what you, the people, think holds up in 2025. And another part, I'm trying to keep my taste open -- my first exposure to video games was GameBoy games, then Halo on PC, then having an Xbox 360 and playing popular action-y games. Later I'd find a taste for action RPGs (after much picking up and putting down), and only in the last few years have I expanded that to more...traditional? slower, I guess...RPGs like BG3 and Disco Elysium...expanding to puzzle games, sidescrollers, bullethells. I know they're a lot different but I guess my point is, at one point, I found it hard to get into them, but over time I was able to figure them out and have fun. Still have never played a JRPG, so that's on the horizon for me. I enjoy when things "click" in my brain, and if it takes a long time, that's okay.
Some games that I've loved over my 25 or so years of consciousness:
My all time fav is Outer Wilds
RDR2
Disco Elysium
Balatro
Alan Wake 2
I'll always have a soft spot for Halo 1-Reach
Portal 1 and 2
Hades
Risk of Rain 2
Doom 2016
Batman: Arkham City
Dark Souls, Dark Souls 3, Sekiro
Dave the Diver
Vampire Survivors
INSIDE
(noticing none of these are retro games so idk if this is even helpful)
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Baldur's Gate 3
Dredge was cool but I didn't finish it
Witcher 3
Baba is You
Factorio was too addicting so I had to stop because it started feeling like work
GTA V because I enjoyed the satire
I have 2k+ hours in Rocket League since its the only game I can play while focusing on an audiobook or podcast or album.
Sounds pretentious because it is, but I like "heady" stuff, in games-terms I think that translates to things that expand my conception of what a game is and what it can do, or something that challenges me in a new way. But yeah, that's a long winded explanation of why I wasn't more specific regarding my taste.
Here's the current list I have that I've played/playing/plan to play through.
3DS: New Super Mario Bros 2, Kirby Planet Robobot, Super Mario 3D Land.
Gamecube: Legend of Zelda, The - The Wind Waker, Super Mario Sunshine
GBA: Advance Wars (1+2), Super Mario Advance 4, Kirby - Nightmare in Dream Land
Mega Drive: Earthworm Jim (1+2), Streets of Rage 2, Lost Vikings, Micro Machines 2, Sonic and knuckles, Jungle Strike
N64: Golden Eye 007, Super Mario 64
PS1: Castlevania - Symphony of the Night, Grand Theft Auto 2, Legacy of Kain - Soul Reaver, Final Fantasy 7+8+9
PS2: Crazy Taxi, GranTurismo 4, Metal Gear Solid 2+3, Okami, Ratchet & Clank - Up Your Arsenal (all the Ratchet and Clank games actually), Shadow of the Colossus, Tony Hawks Underground 2, Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter
PS3: Everybodys Golf 6, Ratchet & Clank Future - A Crack in Time
PSP: Rock Band Unplugged, Blast Off, Disgaea - Afternoon Of Darkness, Final Fantasy Tactics - The War of the Lions, Grand Theft Auto - Chinatown Wars, Half-Minute Hero, Hotshots Tennis, LittleBigPlanet, Lumines 2, Mega Man - Powered Up, Mercury Meltdown, Patapon, PixelJunk Monsters - Deluxe, Puzzle Quest - Challenge of the Warlords, Space Invaders Extreme, Wipeout (Pulse+Pure), Daxter
SNES: Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, Tetris Attack.
PS Vita: Gravity Rush, Wipeout 2048, Geometry Wars 3
Wii: Bully, Cave Story, Donky Kong Country Returns, Geometry Wars Galaxies, Kirby's Epic Yarn, New Super Mario Bros Wii, Rhythm Heaven Fever, Super Mario Galaxy (1+2), Super Paper Mario, Tetris Party Deluxe, Zack and Wiki
Arguably one of the best genres that retro games excelled at were longdrawn RPGs and I haven't even started with those....if that's your thing then I've missed off that entire genre here.
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Hey all, I'm interested in playing some emulated games on my steamdeck, but I'm not sure where to start.
I've been having fun with Super Mario World, but a good chunk of that is because I played it a lot as a kid, so much of my enjoyment is from nostalgia.
Problem is, I didn't play many too many games when I was a kid...
What older games out there would you say hold up in 2025? So that regardless of the nostalgia factor, they can be enjoyed by someone like me
Hulk Ultimate Destruction, nothing else comes close.
Friggin car halves as boxing gloves
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Hey all, I'm interested in playing some emulated games on my steamdeck, but I'm not sure where to start.
I've been having fun with Super Mario World, but a good chunk of that is because I played it a lot as a kid, so much of my enjoyment is from nostalgia.
Problem is, I didn't play many too many games when I was a kid...
What older games out there would you say hold up in 2025? So that regardless of the nostalgia factor, they can be enjoyed by someone like me
2d games in general and basically anything that isn't pre-analogue stick 3d. Some games have quality of life mods/ patches available that make camera not suck, etc.
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I play through Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2 at least once a year. It is largely nostalgia for me, but goddamn those games are fantastic.
3 is much less so, unfortunately.
Yoshi's Island is also worth diving into. One of the best 2D Platformers ever made.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]dkc2 is peak platforming and music
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A lot of PS2 games have busted PC ports or ports with invasive EULAs. PS2 is still probably the best way to play GTA: San Andreas.
But really, just pick a console with a graphical aesthetic you like and find the games people buzz about. I'll give you some recommendations, based mainly on my taste, but a quick "(console) best games" search can help you expand upon this.
NES:
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, Super Mario Bros 3, Kirby's Adventure, Castlevania, Mega Man 2, ContraGenesis/Mega Drive:
Streets of Rage 2, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Road Rash, Sonic 2, Contra Hard CorpsSNES:
NBA Jam: Championship Edition, Mega Man X, Star Fox 2PS1:
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, Crash Team Racing, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Metal Gear SolidN64:
Super Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Mario Kart 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeDreamcast:
Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, SoulCaliburPS2:
GTA San Andreas, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, Tony Hawk's Underground 2, Resident Evil 4, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3, Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, Sly Cooper (entire series)GameCube:
Super Mario Sunshine, Mario Kart Double Dash, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros Melee, SoulCalibur IIXbox:
Halo, Halo 2, Fable: The Lost ChaptersThat's a decent start, but not comprehensive by any means. Just pick a console with games you like the look of and search the top-rated games, the cream really rises to the top when you're looking for retro games.
You just gonna forget all about the Saturn?
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Hey all, I'm interested in playing some emulated games on my steamdeck, but I'm not sure where to start.
I've been having fun with Super Mario World, but a good chunk of that is because I played it a lot as a kid, so much of my enjoyment is from nostalgia.
Problem is, I didn't play many too many games when I was a kid...
What older games out there would you say hold up in 2025? So that regardless of the nostalgia factor, they can be enjoyed by someone like me
NES: Batman the video game (first one), TMNT II, Mario 2, Mario 3, Tetris, Kirby, Mega Man II and III, Castlevania, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden.
Genesis: Ranger X, Sonic 1 thru 3 plus & Knuckles, Comix Zone, Battletech, Phantasy Star II, X-Men, Streets of Rage 2
SNES: DCK2, Star Fox, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy III (VI), Legend of Zelda a Link to the Past, Terragama, Earthbound, Mega Man X, Super Castlevania, Super Metroid
N64: Star Fox 64, Mario 64, Both Zeldas, Blast Corps, Star Wars Shadows of the Empmire, Diddy Kong Racing, Quest64, Doom64
PSX: Xenogears, Final Fantasy 7 thru 9 and Tactics, Wipeout 1 thru 3, Brave Fencer Musashi, Intelligent Cube, Tomba, Crash Bandicoot 1 thru 3, Parasite Eve, Resident Evil 1 thru 3, Silent Hill, Street Figher Alpha 3
DC: Tech Romancer, Shenmue, Crazy Taxi, Jet Grind Radio, Skies of Arcadia, Gundam Side Story, Space channel 5, Power Stone, Sonic Adventure 2
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You just gonna forget all about the Saturn?
Great console. Never going to recommend it to an emulation beginner. Honestly, it was a stretch to even recommend N64 games. Emulation for those are all wack as well.
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NES: Batman the video game (first one), TMNT II, Mario 2, Mario 3, Tetris, Kirby, Mega Man II and III, Castlevania, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden.
Genesis: Ranger X, Sonic 1 thru 3 plus & Knuckles, Comix Zone, Battletech, Phantasy Star II, X-Men, Streets of Rage 2
SNES: DCK2, Star Fox, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy III (VI), Legend of Zelda a Link to the Past, Terragama, Earthbound, Mega Man X, Super Castlevania, Super Metroid
N64: Star Fox 64, Mario 64, Both Zeldas, Blast Corps, Star Wars Shadows of the Empmire, Diddy Kong Racing, Quest64, Doom64
PSX: Xenogears, Final Fantasy 7 thru 9 and Tactics, Wipeout 1 thru 3, Brave Fencer Musashi, Intelligent Cube, Tomba, Crash Bandicoot 1 thru 3, Parasite Eve, Resident Evil 1 thru 3, Silent Hill, Street Figher Alpha 3
DC: Tech Romancer, Shenmue, Crazy Taxi, Jet Grind Radio, Skies of Arcadia, Gundam Side Story, Space channel 5, Power Stone, Sonic Adventure 2
Batman the Video Game is a sick cut. Sunsoft was doing some good shit.
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Batman the Video Game is a sick cut. Sunsoft was doing some good shit.
The soundtrack for it was so good. and yeah it's by far my favourite NES game.
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The soundtrack for it was so good. and yeah it's by far my favourite NES game.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]I don't know if you played it, but there was a totally different Game Boy Sunsoft Batman game. Also very good, and it has one of the kickinest soundtracks of any GB game I owned!
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Hey all, I'm interested in playing some emulated games on my steamdeck, but I'm not sure where to start.
I've been having fun with Super Mario World, but a good chunk of that is because I played it a lot as a kid, so much of my enjoyment is from nostalgia.
Problem is, I didn't play many too many games when I was a kid...
What older games out there would you say hold up in 2025? So that regardless of the nostalgia factor, they can be enjoyed by someone like me
secret of mana, earthbound, and turtles in time
