The Retro Gaming Thread

[Cubs2024WSChamps]

Best Retro Games (not sure where the cut off is):

C64:
-Ultima II, III, IV, V
-D&D Goldbox Series: (e.g. Pool of Radiance, Curse of Azure Bonds etc.)
-Summer Games, Summer Games II, Winter Games
-Impossible Mission
-Sid Meier's Pirates!
-Seven Cities of Gold
-Racing Construction Set
-M.U.L.E.
-Superstar Ice Hockey (Mindscape)
-One on One - Dr. J vs. Larry Bird
-Street Sports (baseball, basketball)
-Wasteland
-Bard's Tale I, II and III
-Football Manager 2
-Maniac Mansion
-Last Ninja II
-Sword of Fargoal

PC:
-Wing Commander I and II
-SimCity 2000
-Civilization, Civilization II
-Deus Ex
-Ultima VII (Black Gate and Serpent Isle)
-Fallout and Fallout 2
-Mech Warrior, Mech Warrior II
-Sierra Quest Games (King's, Quest for Glory, Police, Leisure Suit Larry)
-NHL 93
-Castle Wolfenstein
-Doom, Doom 2
-Heroes of Might and Magic III and IV
-Master of Orion I and II
-Master of Magic
-Red Baron
-Wizardry VIII
-Half Life
-Command and Conquer - Red Alert
-Warcraft and Warcraft II
-Baldur's Gate I and II
-Duke Nukem 3D
-Dune 2

The Ultima series is just on another level of Rpgs.

Until 8, that is. Ultima 7 is (the complete version and I know SI gets alot of hate, not from me tho) the only game that I ever played that I wished never ended. The only rpg to ever top it is FF7

 

[RandV]

Anyone know if Baldur’s Gate is worth going back to?

There's a Baldur's Gate package on Humble Bundle for the next week or so.

 

[McGarnagle]

I bought the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection for PS4 a couple months ago and have been working through it. FF6 is one of my top 5 games of all time, and FF4 is another one I've played over and over through the years. I did play FF1 on NES when I was a very young kid but didn't get very far.

I finished FF1 and FF2, 1 was a good game which really benefits from the remaster. FF2's stat levelling system was hard to get a handle on, and the story and setting weren't that compelling. I started FF3 and played an hour or two but kind of got fatigue from the NES games so I decided to skip to FF4 and come back to it later. I've definitely enjoyed it. You can click a button to disable random battles, which makes getting through some of the areas in the games a hell of a lot easier and faster, though I'm at the very end of FF4 right now and attempted to fight the final boss but got thoroughly destroyed so I'll have to grind up about 5-10 levels before trying again.

I'm really looking forward to playing the FF6 remaster. I love that game and the improved graphics/sound/gameplay features will be fun.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Star Fox on Switch plays really well. It’s great to finally be able to save anytime you want unlike on the n64 version where you have to beat the game in one sitting.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

The Ultima series is just on another level of Rpgs.

Until 8, that is. Ultima 7 is (the complete version and I know SI gets alot of hate, not from me tho) the only game that I ever played that I wished never ended. The only rpg to ever top it is FF7

Ultima 8 is indeed so horrible.

IX also sucks. I wonder why? I say that rhetorically, because EAveryone knows why.

 

[NyQuil]

Ultima 8 is indeed so horrible.

IX also sucks. I wonder why? I say that rhetorically, because EAveryone knows why.

The strength of the Ultima games was the realism (for the time) mixed with compelling storylines and emotional outcomes.

The Ultima games introduced NPC schedules and routines so that you couldn’t just go to the same place to get information. They went to lunch, slept, worked. Sometimes following an NPC would reveal an interesting plot point.

They also introduced interacting with the game world to a new level, like milling wheat, milking cows, baking your own bread.

Theft did not go unpunished, and during the Avatar series of games, doing anything that violated virtues, like killing fleeing creatures, shortchanging a blind shopkeeper, would ultimately prevent you from winning the game.

Going to first person took away the party-based orientation of 3 through 7, and I’d even argue that the move away from tactical combat to real-time combat in 6 also lessened the series.

Combats happened so quickly and your party just sort of ran around aimlessly that it was hard to feel any semblance of control.

7 is probably the best achievement in terms of world building and story but overall I think Ultima 5 was the best overall gaming experience.

 

[RandV]

Ultima 8 is indeed so horrible.

IX also sucks. I wonder why? I say that rhetorically, because EAveryone knows why.

I wonder how IX would have been received without EA rushing it out the door, as personally I loved Ultima IX. Now I played IV on the Sega Master System, but otherwise had no attachment and no real knowledge to the series. So if they butchered something I was completely oblivious to it. What captured my attention on the other hand is it was my first hand crafted 3D open-world exploration game, which despite all it's flaws gave it a huge nostalgia hit.

Heck some of the flaws even helped it, like the janky combat which meant you were never really in danger. Compare that to say Gothic, probably out around the same time but I never played, which had properly crafted combat but which restricted you from open exploring because so many things would just murder you early on.

Ultima IX also had some ambitious early innovations going for it:
- no loading screens
- fully voice acted
- every object could be picked up and moved around (like the 2D games)

Things Bethesda would be touting as big innovations 7 years later with Oblivion, but still with loading screens.

 

[RandV]

Oh yeah... but I suppose that I should add that for all my Ultima IX nostalgia yeah it kind of sucked in one way very big way that prevented me from finishing it. Starting up two games, one getting about half way through and another a bit further, before getting hit with a game ending crash. Another 'innovation' it had was seemless loading so when you run the game there's no start up & option screen, it just loads straight to where you left off. Which means if your playing and the game suddenly freezes or ctd's you can't revert to an older save file... you're just screwed as your game is gone.

 

[Osprey]

Ultima VIII and IX were a lot different and inferior to VII, but I still found some enjoyment in them. XIII was frustrating because of the platforming and bugs (including one that prevented me from completing the game), but it looked nice and the speech pack was cool. I've had the line from the intro, "You've been a thorn in my side for far too long, avatar," burned into my brain for nearly 30 years. IX was also very different, but was the first true 3D RPG and I enjoyed it for its impressive visuals and unique experience. Both games were pretty big disappointments as Ultima entries, but experimental with and advanced technology in RPG games. It's really too bad that they killed off the series because it would've been epic to return to VII-like gameplay with better technology.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Anyone own any rare, valuable games? I have Conker’s Bad Fur Day which is worth around 200$

 

[TheDoldrums]

Anyone own any rare, valuable games? I have Conker’s Bad Fur Day which is worth around 200$

Nothing crazy but I have a few PS1 JRPG's and seem to go for a good price from quick ebay searches

Thousand Arms
Lunar Silver Star Story Complete
Lunar Eternal Blue Complete
Xenogears original run

 

[Jovavic]

The only one I have left is Suikoden 2, I had to sell my collection about 10 years ago. The most I got was 180 for EVO Search for Eden, but I had your usual SNES and PS1 JRPGs (like the Lunars, which really need to be re-released)

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

What are your favourite retro games, consoles ect.?
I consider retro to be everything before the PS2/ GameCube generation but if ppl wanna challenge that definition we can have that discussion.

No particular order:

GBC:
Pokemon Crystal
Pokemon TCG 1 and 2
NFL Blitz

PS1:
NHL Championship 2000
Spyro 1,2,3
Crash Bandicoot 1,2,3
Blasto
NHL Faceoff 2001
Looney Tunes Racing
Toomba
Beyblade

Gamecube/PS2:
Fifa Street 1,2
Super Mario Sunshine
Paper Mario TTYD
Luigis Mansion (very underrated)
Tony Hawks Underground 1 (not 2)
Winning Eleven 6

PC:
EHM



I would love to try and play LMA Manager 2007. Apparently one of the best managing sims of all time

 

[Byron Bitz]

I recently picked up a Dreamcast on Marketplace and have really been enjoying Hydro Thunder, House of the Dead 2 and Rayman 2. Any recommendations? I’m looking for Jet Set Radio if anyone in the GTA is selling

 

[Dr John Carlson]

Anyone own any rare, valuable games? I have Conker’s Bad Fur Day which is worth around 200$

Checking pricecharting.com has revealed that my game collection is common and basic. Really sad. It looks like the most valuable thing I have is the Gamecube GBA player/adapter at around $150.

 

[TheDoldrums]

I recently picked up a Dreamcast on Marketplace and have really been enjoying Hydro Thunder, House of the Dead 2 and Rayman 2. Any recommendations? I’m looking for Jet Set Radio if anyone in the GTA is selling

Seaman, Leonard Nimoy narrates you raising a weird fish with a human face via the dreamcast microphone

Skies of Arcadia, if you want a traditional JRPG

Sonic Adventure

idk, kind of a weird system to return to at this point. A lot of the best games for me besides Jet Set Radio were fighting games (Soul Calibur, Marvel vs Capcom 2, Street Fighter 3rd Strike), games that have since been ported to every system (Shenmue, Resident Evil: Code Veronica) and an online RPG in Phantasy Star Online.

 

[Jovavic]

I recently picked up a Dreamcast on Marketplace and have really been enjoying Hydro Thunder, House of the Dead 2 and Rayman 2. Any recommendations? I’m looking for Jet Set Radio if anyone in the GTA is selling

Skies of Arcadia and Grandia 2 if you like JRPGs.

Blue Stinger is a horror game on a ship, it's not so bad for a launch game.

Soul Calibur, obviously.

 

[VelvetVortex]

I couldn't remember much of the titles, but the games that I remember are these titles: Galaga, Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Tetris, Contra, and Battle City.

I remember spending countless hours playing these games with my friends and family. These games were so much fun, and they hold a special place in my heart.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

I bought the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection for PS4 a couple months ago and have been working through it. FF6 is one of my top 5 games of all time, and FF4 is another one I've played over and over through the years. I did play FF1 on NES when I was a very young kid but didn't get very far.

I finished FF1 and FF2, 1 was a good game which really benefits from the remaster. [B[FF2's stat levelling system was hard to get a handle on, and the story and setting weren't that compelling.[/B] I started FF3 and played an hour or two but kind of got fatigue from the NES games so I decided to skip to FF4 and come back to it later. I've definitely enjoyed it. You can click a button to disable random battles, which makes getting through some of the areas in the games a hell of a lot easier and faster, though I'm at the very end of FF4 right now and attempted to fight the final boss but got thoroughly destroyed so I'll have to grind up about 5-10 levels before trying again.

I'm really looking forward to playing the FF6 remaster. I love that game and the improved graphics/sound/gameplay features will be fun.

I've played through the original FF2 on the Famicom. One of the most dreadful gaming experiences of my life. The remakes were OK but the original is HORRID from a gameplay perspective. Totally broken. Story isn't horrible but the gameplay is abominable.

3 is much better, though totally unforgiving in the original version. Really good game for the time though.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

I started playing Landstalker {Genesis} blind for my YouTube channel recently. I'm having a hell of a time with it, and I mean that in multiple ways. The platforming is borderline atrocious, and there are moments of pure blind fumbling that are frustrating, but there are elements I really like.

I also am doing a "Corporate Mascot" month miniseries with Yo Noid (NES), Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool (Genesis), Global Gladiators (Genesis) and Cool Spot (Genesis), just for kicks. They're all one-off vids, not complete playthroughs. Basically test out a game and give my honest thoughts. Chester Cheetah was particularly horrible, as expected.

 

[Maninthebox87]

I sold off my collection of SNES and N64 collections when I found easier ways to play them. I think I got about $2000 when it was all said and done most of the games were ones I had from growing up I never paid the astronomical retro tax that seems to be there today. For example I remember walking into a GameStop in the early 2000s and getting Mario rpg and yoshis island both for like $25.

 

[Jovavic]

I sold off my collection of SNES and N64 collections when I found easier ways to play them. I think I got about $2000 when it was all said and done most of the games were ones I had from growing up I never paid the astronomical retro tax that seems to be there today. For example I remember walking into a GameStop in the early 2000s and getting Mario rpg and yoshis island both for like $25.

I sold all my old games (mostly JRPGs) about ten years ago. My biggest score was getting just the cart of Chrono Trigger about a year before it's "sequel" Cross came out, then I flipped that cart to Funcoland (before it was EB, then Gamestop) a few months before it's release and they gave me 95.

From my collection I think EVO Search for Eden got me the most on ebay, but a good number got at least 80. I still have Suikoden 2 on disc, that's never getting sold lol

 

[Maninthebox87]

I sold all my old games (mostly JRPGs) about ten years ago. My biggest score was getting just the cart of Chrono Trigger about a year before it's "sequel" Cross came out, then I flipped that cart to Funcoland (before it was EB, then Gamestop) a few months before it's release and they gave me 95.

From my collection I think EVO Search for Eden got me the most on ebay, but a good number got at least 80. I still have Suikoden 2 on disc, that's never getting sold lol

Yeah EVO is one of those ones you look online and it goes for like $150-$250 as far as I know it’s never been rereleased which could be why it’s so expensive.

Earthbound is another one of those ones that cost a small fortune to buy I remember I bought it in like 2008 for $80 from a ma and pa retro store and thought I spent a lot at the time I think when I sold this one in like 2017 I got $170.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

EVO is such a delightfully weird ass game

 

[Byron Bitz]

Really funny breakdown of how convoluted and ridiculous this game is. I still like it though.