I'd Like a Side of Nostalgia, Please

Fine Vintage

Past gen games that have withstood the test of time.

With so many amazing titles released in the past five years, gamers have had their hands full trying to play the best of the best. It's easy to get caught up in the amazing graphics of the current generation consoles and  be enamored with thoughts of what is yet to come, but sometimes it's important to look back through the past of gaming and play some oldies but goodies. You don't need amazing graphics to tell a good story, and the games that I list below, despite their obsolete graphics, put many present day games to shame with their amazing storytelling and brilliant gameplay.

Paper Mario (2001)

This was my very first RPG at the tender age of eight, and let me tell you, it still remains one of my favorites to this very day. I remember quite clearly renting Paper Mario from Blockbuster almost every weekend when I was a child; it got to the point where I knew the game so well that I was able to beat four bosses in one day. Like many of the games on this list, I was only able to fully appreciate this game when I pursued it two years ago. Unlike my eight-year-old self, at sixteen I was able to conceive how brilliant this game really was. Not only was it incredibly addicting, but it had approachable gameplay that a both a novice and an expert gamer could appreciate. Paper Mario stands out from other Mario games of the generation (though perhaps not as much as Super Mario 64, which was one of the most defining games of the era) as it took a bold step forward in narration and gameplay that the series is still trying to emulate. Unfortunately, the sequels to this brilliant game did not fair as well as the original, but with it's stylized graphics, Paper Mario is still incredibly pleasant to look at ten years after it's release.

Star Fox 64 (1997)

Who can forget the (only) good game in the Star Fox series? Without a save feature included in this game, I spent hours of my childhood attempting to defeat Andross, but always inevitably failing. Like Paper Mario, this game has only gotten better with age. In fact, I'm pretty sure most old games are like vintage wine: the longer you age it, the better it gets. Star Fox 64 is, to this date, the only Star Fox game besides Assault that I find enjoyable. Everything else (especially Adventures) is bland and uninspired, attempting to reclaim the glory that this first game received. Much to my chagrin, I still haven't defeated Andross, but maybe next time I get my hands on the controller, I'll get lucky.

Final Fantasy VII (1997)

Probably one of the most famous RPGs of all time, Final Fantasy VII is definitely deserving of most of the hype. Although I'm not a rabid fangirl that insists that this is the game to end all games or the game that will forever transcend time or that I am the only one who deserves to marry Cloud/Sephiroth/Reno/Zach/etc., I do think that it is a very good game in its own right. I freely admit that the graphics of FFVII are nothing impressive (in fact, sometimes they're almost painful to go back to after I play some of FFXIII), it's the storytelling that really sells this game. Not only is one of the most iconic video game villains featured predominantly in the game, but the plot itself is incredibly gripping. Oftentimes you find yourself still plugging away at a dungeon at three in the morning despite how tired you are just to see that next cutscene. The new installments in the series (XII and XIII especially) are all decent in their own right (except X and the travesty that is X-2; I just have no patience for Tidus, it seems), FFVII is definitely one of the most enduring games of all time.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

Now no list of old games would be complete without this gem. Arguably one of the best video games of all time, Ocarina of Time is definitely one of the most defining games ever created. With stupendous gameplay and a memorable plot, I find myself coming back to this game again and again. There is always something new to discover when I play through it, some small, insignificant detail that I overlooked the first time through. I mean, I still get emotional when I play through this game, and I have a love/hate relationship with the rolling credits. Despite how amazingly badass you feel when you finally defeat Gannon, there is always this stabbing regret that you beat the game and there isn't really anymore to see. (Which I usually try to get over by hitting the new game button.) Ocarina of Time is definitely one of those games that never grows old, as seen by the numerous ports that have been made to the Gamecube, and now the new HD version being released on the 3DS.

So, what do you guys think? Are there some old games that you still consider to be your favorites even after all of this time? Be sure to let me know!