Since the release of the Nintendo, video games have come a long way. Once upon a time, it would have been unthinkable to say that the gaming culture would become one of the biggest subcultures in the mainstream. Today, however, the gaming industry is worth an upward of a billion dollars, and many of the most popular games enjoy the same status as some big budget blockbuster flicks.
But still, many of today’s gamers hold a nostalgia for the games of their youth. In this article, we are going to take a look at the most popular, and best-regarded, retro games of all time.
Street Fighter II
The original Street Fighter game is not considered by a lot of people to be all that great. By no means is it bad, but more so forgotten, vastly overshadowed by its sequel. In 1991, Street Fighter 2: World Warrior was released, and thus, the fighting game genre (and video games in general) was completely changed.
Not only did Street Fighter II introduce a roster of colorful, and more importantly playable, characters, it also inspired a huge grassroots movement of video game tournaments. Competitive gaming today is vastly popular, especially so-called eSports, which many sites like BetStation are now beginning to accept bets for, and it all started with this game. It is not a stretch to say, that Street Fighter II might be one of the most important games of all time. And speaking of important video games…
Tetris
On the 6 June, 1984, Alexey Pajitnov developed the first version of Tetris, and the game quickly became a worldwide hit. It is difficult to call Tetris a retro game, mostly because it is still popular in its original form. Describing the game is pointless, as we have all, at some point, been confronted by the various-shaped blocks dropping with ever increasing speed towards the bottom of the screen.
Tetris is one of the best-selling games of all time, having sold more copies than any other game, under various gaming companies. This, of course, does not account for the multiple free-to-play Tetris websites and applications, which see major traffic and downloads by people from all over the globe.
Super Mario Bros.
The Super Mario Brothers are two of the most recognizable video game characters of all time (they might even be the most popular), so it should come as no surprise to some that this game made its way on the list. One of the first games to be released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). While many might have nostalgia for the first Mario Bros., most gamers would agree that the Super Mario series is a marked improvement on what made the original great.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Published by Sega in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog has had a long-standing rivalry with the aforementioned Super Mario Bros game. Notable for the speed with which the game moves, and its difficulty, Sonic the Hedgehog is a platformer, wherein the player takes control of a blue hedgehog, and races through various tracks, collecting golden rings and knocking out enemies.
