Being a kid is tougher than ever now, even with the pandemic coming to an end. Although it’s never been a better time to go outside and spend quality time with them, nothing beats time bonding with them with some video games.

Here are five great retro experiences that’ll connect you with the- and them with the medium, forever.

5: NBA Jam: You don’t even have to be a fun of basketball to love it. You’ve just got to master passing and shooting and play to win! Not only does it foster a competitive spirit, but it’s a great co-op game too.

4: Contra: Stealing lives from your Dad so you can continue playing? Priceless!

3: Guitar Hero: Teach them great music and play on a cool controller? Does it get any better than that?

2: Pac-Man: It’s timeless. It’s difficult at times and has amazing music and can be enjoyed by everybody.

1: Super Mario Bros 3: From the little vs. games and the ability to share the story together, SMB 3 may be one of the best games to play with a kid.

Patrick Hickey Jr. Patrick Hickey Jr. (340 Posts)

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