Baby, it’s cold outside. With the Northeast being plummeted with snow and hundreds of schools closed, it’s the perfect time to curl up with a retro classic. From the NES to the Dreamcast, Old School Gamer gives you some great picks to warm you up.
NHL 94…18?: The guys at NHL94.com do awesome work. For years, they’ve been updating the rosters of NHL 94 and throwing it up on the web. If you’ve got an Everdrive for the Genesis or one of those nifty handheld consoles that run on SD cards, this is a perfect way to kill a few hours.
Earthbound: One of the best RPGs on the SNES, its story is immersive and the best way to forget about what’s going on outside.
Super Mario World: A great way to spend a cold day with your significant other. One of the best platformers ever, it’s a beefy experience that you’ll enjoy playing through again.
WWF No Mercy: An awesome multiplayer game, with an expansive creative-a-wrestler and a bevy of modes, it’s perfect for a group of friends stuck inside.
Shenmue: This is definitely one for the person stuck inside by themselves. An amazing story, score and cinematic storytelling make this a wonderful way to spend an icy day.
Advance Wars: Thanks to Nintendo’s Single Pak Linking, this title can be played by two-four friends with only one copy of the game. A classic strategy experience, it’s sure to test your mettle.
Jumping Flash: An underrated gem on the original PlayStation, this game takes platformers and first-person shooters and turns them on their head. Add in a fun story, great cut-scenes and arcade difficulty and it’s a journey you won’t forget.
The Legend of Zelda: Another fantastic single-player experience, but unlike Shenmue, this is one everyone has played. It’s a trip down memory lane that’ll reignite your love of the series. Don’t have it on the NES? That’s ok, it’ll available on a few other Nintendo consoles in one form or another.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night: Immersive isn’t the word. The music is amazing. The story is one of the best in the series. It’s difficult as hell. And just wait until the castle flips over. You’ll completely forget about the weather while playing this one.
Pokemon: Red/Blue: There’s not a game in the world that’ll steal more of your time than the original Pokemon. Add in two-player battling and there’s plenty of reasons to play this by yourself, or with friends.
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Patrick Hickey Jr. is the author of the upcoming book, “The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers,” from McFarland And Company. Featuring interviews with the creators of 36 popular video games–including Deus Ex, NHLPA 93, Night Trap, Mortal Kombat, Wasteland and NBA Jam–the book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the most influential and iconic (and sometimes forgotten) games of all time. Recounting endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega publishers and the uncertainties of public reception, the interviewees reveal the creative processes that produced some of gaming’s classic titles.
Patrick Hickey, Jr., is the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com and a lecturer of English and journalism at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the past decade, his video game coverage has been featured in national ad campaigns by top publishers the likes of Nintendo, Deep Silver, Disney and EA Sports. His book series, "The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Game Developers," from McFarland and Company, has earned praise from Forbes, Huffington Post, The New York Daily News and MSG Networks. He is also a former editor at NBC and National Video Games Writer at the late-Examiner.com
