Whew, another year has come and gone, and with it, I’ve once again managed to check a bunch of games off of the old backlog (while adding a bunch of others to that same list … so it goes).
Every year, I list the games I’ve completed with a mini-review on social media as they are vanquished, then I circle back to rank them with a score at the end of the year. Games I’ve completed for the first time get their own mini-rank at the end, earning my “games of the year” designation. You can see those rankings below.
So prestigious!
Last year, I devoted some extra space to writing about my favorite game of the year, and I’d like to do that again here. Not so much to gush about how much I love it, but rather to get into some of the why and how it ended up at the top of the heap.
This year, that game is “Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.”
If you’ve seen that game in the headlines or in your feeds of late, it’s because it just got a re-release with extra content and more games. Since I haven’t purchased this fancy newer version, I can’t speak to the entirety of that extra content and whether it’s worth the additional coin, but you can look it over here.
To my mind, however, the additional content is basically just going to be a bonus, because the original version of the game actually earned a 10/10 from me without it. As such, it was the only game to earn a “perfect” score from me this year.
Why was I so taken with it?
Because it gave us something new.
And in doing so, it presented us something essential in as engaging a way as possible.
To illuminate further, Atari 50 was – by simplest explanation – a collection of games from one of the industry’s most important and influential game developers, Atari. The “50” in the title comes from the fact that Atari celebrated its 50th(!!!) birthday in the same year (2022) the game was first released.
Of course, that’s really understating the thing, because the collection offers a great deal more than just a collection of games.
The games themselves are presented in multiple menu formats, in which the gamer can just basically browse through them based on release date, platform, how recently you might have played it, and so forth and so on. Basically however you want to organize/browse through games, you can do that.
Each game has its own modern pop-up menu attached, which allows you to tweak settings, controls, etc. Some of the games have added save states and some don’t … preserving the whole “Atari Hard” aspect of the original titles.
Most of the games, put simply, will test you.
But where this collection really goes above and beyond a simple dump bin of classic titles (admittedly with some modern perks thrown in, but whatever) is within the historical timelines it has assembled.
People experiencing the game can select those timelines and be thrust into an actual timeline, presented with archival material such as historical blurbs, pictures, and marketing material such as ads to go along with interviews with some of the principle characters in the company’s history (and some noteworthy outside observers) to paint a truly vivid picture of what those times were like, and how these games fit into those times.
You can then choose to play the game featured in that content, with all of this newly gained (or revisited) knowledge in tow.
So perhaps you know next to nothing about “Centipede,” how it was reinvisioned multiple times, how it was ultimately intended to court female gamers, what the marketing looked like, why it was an important development at the time, and so on. Playing through the timeline in Atari 50 will provide all of that context, as well as perfectly emulated versions of the game itself (for arcade and multiple home ports).
For me at least, experiencing Centipede like this was like playing the game again for the first time. Except even better. Now, I had a better understanding of why the game mattered, and why it continues to matter today.
Multiple this experience across over 100 games and you might get a picture of why this might be such a transformative, thrilling experience.
The other really cool thing here that we shouldn’t gloss over is that some of these classics have been reinvisioned and rebuilt into new versions of themselves. The development team at Digital Eclipse took games like “Combat,” “Breakout,” and “Haunted House” and created whole new-ass games from those properties. And in most cases, those new games are well worth experiencing themselves. I’d venture to say “Neo Breakout” is my favorite version of Breakout I’ve ever played. And a game like “Vctr Sctr” is also great fun as an amalgamation of several unique titles (“Lunar Lander,” “Tempest,” and “Asteroids”) into one package.
The silver lining in all of this, and the thing that might get some of you in the door in the first place, is that some of these games are quite simply some of the greatest, most important titles in history.
Scanning the games list in anticipation of trying to determine whether to purchase, one might see any number of games that could scratch that itch for you. In my case, the games that helped tip the scales for me personally were “Tempest 2000,” “Ninja Golf,” “Adventure,” “Pong,” and “Yars’ Revenge,” though the aforementioned Centipede, Lunar Lander, Breakout, and Asteroids were absolutely an incentive as well.
I have to confess that most of the games in this collection just don’t hold a lot of personal nostalgic value for me. I was too young when many of them were released, and when trying to engage with them later on, they generally seemed a little too basic to hold my interest, especially when I had other, more colorful offerings from the likes of Nintendo and Sega to compete for my time instead.
So on some level, at least for the majority of my life, trying to connect with these older Atari games has felt a little like taking medicine.
“Yeah, it’s probably good for me, but do I really enjoy it? Truly?”
If even a little part of you feels that same way, I encourage you to read the next sentence and consider it very carefully.
That’s now all out the window.
These games have been elevated and in some cases rescued entirely for me.
And THAT’S the power of this collection. It makes video game history – even for a video game history nerd who has dedicated a lot of his free time to experiencing and documenting it – more interesting, more vivid, more alive, and more FUN.
I just couldn’t endorse this collection more, and it’s my game of the year (two years after it was released, but whatever – that’s when I played it).
As for the rest…
Give it a miss (5 or below)
71. Race 500 – I hate overhead racers like this, and this one is super rudimentary, so there you go … worst game I played this year.
70. Outlaw – Even with the caveat of it being an extremely old game, I have to acknowledge that getting into a gun fight has rarely seemed so dull and lifeless.
69. Miniature Golf – The geometry can be a little rough, but at least it captures the spirit of the thing?
68. Surround – Kind of like playing with finger puppets, it might amuse you for five minutes, but beyond that it gets a little dicey.
67. RealSports Soccer – It’s basically virtual foosball, but real-life foosball is better, so just play real-life foosball.
66. Castlevania Legends – Unrefined and yet undeniably malicious in its intent, it’s the worst Castlevania game I’ve played to date.
65. RealSports Boxing – When something like “Punch-Out!!” already exists, I struggle to come up with reasons to want to engage with this.
64. Bowling – The physics work well enough, I suppose, but again, I’d rather spend my time elsewhere.
63. Super Street Fighter II: Turbo – Simultaneously feeling too far removed from the original game while also not moving the series forward enough, this game is peak redundancy.
62. Basic Math – Historical importance can only carry you so far, as Basic Math demonstrates to us all.
61. Combat – I just can’t get it into this one on any level, yet it still flirts with a tepid recommendation because it’s so important to a lot of people.
60. Warlords – Just play the arcade version instead (even though the 2600 game is easier to “complete”).
Tepid thumbs up (6 or 7)
59. Basketbrawl – I was able to have fun with this in short bursts, and it’s weird enough to merit a look.
58. Darkwing Duck – A pretty yawn-worthy, basic platformer that still does enough correctly to (barely) get a passing grade.
57. Canyon Bomber – Blends old-school (REALLY old-school) shooty games with Breakout and somehow sorta makes it all work.
56. TaleSpin – This sucker gets a B+ in concept and a D- in execution.
55. Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 – It’s just a worse version of Rescue Rangers, which doesn’t make it bad in a vacuum, but DOES make it disappointing.
54. Street Fighter III: New Generation – It gets points for getting the basics right and for (finally) veering in a different direction from SFII, but the roster is comically small.
53. Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact – A slight improvement on New Generation, but vastly inferior to 3rd Strike, which is the SFIII game to experience, honestly.
52. Mega Man – The first Mega Man game is pretty dang janky and much more limited in scope than its sequels.
51. Space Harrier II – This Genesis port is more playable than you’d expect on first glance despite the atrocious frame rate, and the series itself is noteworthy from a historical perspective, so here it is, a little higher than I would have anticipated.
50. Air-Sea Battle – One’s twitch reflexes get tested in a relatively fun way with this Atari classic.
49. Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers – It’s alright, but the new characters never added a lot (from my perspective), and some of graphical/sound changes weren’t welcome either.
48. Breakout – You kind of have to play this game in some form or fashion, and while the arcade original is probably too tough (and unrefined) for extended enjoyment, it does still get the job done in short bursts.
47. Kirby’s Dream Land 2 – Oh it’s basically fine and I’d call it a good game, but it’s also kind of redundant as there are better Game Boy (and Kirby) games to play instead.
46. Altered Beast – Full of flaws, this game is nonetheless so incredibly silly and iconic that I almost put it into the “no reservations” section on that basis alone.
45. Mega Man: The Wily Wars – A collection of the first three Mega Man games on Genesis hardware, it justifies its own existence with some fun bonus material (levels and bosses) at the end.
44. Haunted House – Limited in scope (because it HAD to be), Haunted House still somehow manages to capture the spirit of navigating a ghost-filled mansion, which is pretty friggin’ neat.
43. Super Mario Land – Given its limitations – it’s ugly as sin and short as hell – this game is way more fun to play than it has any right to be.
Endorsed without reservation (8)
42. The Revenge of Shinobi – Shredding dudes by throwing shurikens at them is nearly always a good time.
41. Star Wars: Republic Commando – Probably a little too difficult in spots and also more limiting than I would have liked, but it’s also fairly unique in its “commanding” structure and worthwhile as a result.
40. Kirby’s Dream Land – It’s not my favorite Game Boy game, but it’s really close!
39. Gargoyle’s Quest – The leveling up in this gem is satisfying, and the gameplay includes some flourishes that are very welcome as well.
38. DuckTales 2 – One could make the case for this game over the original, which in itself is a glowing endorsement, methinks.
37. Bubble Bobble – It’s a classic, and moreover, it’s a classic that isn’t a chore to play.
36. Dark Forces – Not without its problems, I still find Dark Forces to be a really fun play that has more of a historical relevance than one might presume.
35. Hollow Knight – An outstandingly designed game by basically any measure, I nevertheless struggled to connect a little and it consequently felt way too long.
34. The Disney Afternoon Collection – This right here is a nice collection of some quality platforming.
33. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection – Has a better presentation than the Disney collection, so I’d recommend this above that one, despite my affinity for the games on the other collection.
32. Street Fighter II – The original version of this Hall of Famer is still a banger.
31. The Simpsons (arcade) – This classic brawler holds up better than I was expecting.
30. Bonk’s Adventure – I go back and forth on whether I prefer this game or the sequel, but I do think both are worthwhile.
29. Street Fighter II: Champion Edition – A pretty easy decision to elevate this one over the original, but I’m still not gonna gum up the VERY top of my rankings with a ton of Street Fighter games … so here it sits.
28. Lunar Lander – Alternatively soothing and stressful, Lunar Lander is a certified classic and a borderline must-play.
27. Ninja Golf – It’s exactly what it sounds like, and it’s every bit as awesome as you’d hope it to be.
26. Hyrule Warriors – It’s perhaps not so surprising that cutting through waves of enemies like tissue paper in a Zelda setting is fun and cool.
25. Super Castlevania IV – On the easier side of things for a “Classic-vania,” though that easiness and the cool, directional whip action are points in its favor as an occasional change-up.
24. Adventure – The enjoyment of the experience probably trumps the quality of the game itself if you really start to break it down, but who cares … it’s a must.
23. Half-Life – I can quibble with so much in this landmark FPS, but lordy, this is some really immersive (and consequently impressive) stuff.
22. Neo Breakout – This, the definitive version of Breakout, really deserves a bigger audience.
As good as it gets (9 or 10)
21. Virtua Racing – Master this technically impressive (for its time) game and you’ll really feel like you’ve accomplished something.
20. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island – Gorgeous, unique, impactful (and every now and then a little obnoxious too).
19. Phantasy Star IV – Deserves the belated accolades it has received as one of the best classic RPGs in existence.
18. Bonk’s Revenge – Everyone should play Bonk, and this is the best of Bonk.
17. Super Mario Bros. Wonder – My only real complaint about this wildly creative spin on 2D Mario is that it was over a little too quickly.
16. Tempest 2000 – An incredibly addictive and satisfying experience that doesn’t rank any higher only because I have too many favorites already.
15. Hades – I am not, in general, a fan of getting my ass handed to me over and over, which makes Hades a rare, delightful exception.
14. Mega Man 3 – Few other Mega Man experiences can compare to this one, which does everything well.
13. Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse – It does an admirable job of blending the two previous games and several distinct new characters into a cohesive, enjoyable experience.
12. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (arcade) – Personal bias and nostalgia aside, this game is just darn good at creating four-player brawling mayhem.
11. Metal Gear Solid – Snake … Snake? … SNAKE!
10. Pong – Take five minutes and play the darn thing … you’ll be glad you did.
9. Super Mario Bros. 1 – Gotta give it up for the OG, because it’s still fun to play.
8. Atari 50 – More interactive than a class, a book, a documentary, or even strolling through a museum, this history lesson is among the best I’ve ever experienced.
7. Contra – Play it with the Konami code or without, just play it.
6. Super Mario World – Basically perfect … no notes.
5. Super Mario Bros. 3 – Slightly more perfect? … still no notes.
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time – The game itself is fabulous, but can we talk about how this soundtrack is seriously one of the best of all time as well?
3. Super Mario Bros. 2 – Mario at his weirdest is when I’m most pleased with what I’m playing.
2. Mega Man 2 – This might be my definitive comfort game; I’m pretty much always in my happy place when I’m playing it.
1. Air Zonk – If you don’t enjoy the premise of buddying up with a balloon cow and then combining with said balloon cow into some kind of Voltron creature that fires milk jugs at your enemies … well then maybe I’m not sure I want to know you.
Top 5 games I finished for the first time:
Atari 50
Metal Gear Solid
Hades
Tempest 2000
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Honorable mention: Phantasy Star IV, Virtua Racing, Neo Breakout, Half-Life, Adventure, Hyrule Warriors, Ninja Golf