Mario, Contra, Heroes III – these retro games are worth recalling during the holidays. Today you can still play them

For years, the creators have been making every effort to ensure that iconic games from the past are not covered with a layer of dust and are available both for people who want to remember their favorite childhood game, as well as for younger players who may not even have been there on the day of the release of some titles in the world.

If you’re looking for older games, one of the best addresses is GOG.com. On GOG you will find a lot of retro titles, including such hits as the Heroes of Might & Magic series or DOOM II. It has the largest library of games from the NES console, which is known in Poland as Pegasus Nintendoalthough in order to use the resources of Nintendo Switch Online, we must be owners of the manufacturer’s console.

Many retro games have been released for smartphones. We can find them in stores Google Play Store and App Store. Another (though not always completely legal) way to play retro games is through emulators. Today, many of them are available online – this means that we do not need to install any program or the game itself on the computer.

We already know how to play retro games. And which of them are worth playing during the holidays? We have selected seven productions that, in our opinion, have stood the test of time the best.

Super Mario Bros Nintendo

Super Mario Bros

Every owner of Pegasus (the Polish “clone” of the NES) has played at least two games. The first of them was Duck Hunt, or the popular “Ducks”. The second – Super Mario Bros. The platformer created by Nintendo has gone down in the history of gaming with gold letters, and the adventures of the friendly plumber Mario and his brother Luigi are still a goldmine for the Japanese company.

The idea of ​​the game is simple. We play the role of the title Mario and head to the right side of the screen to explore the world of Mushroom Kingdom, defeat hostile creatures and save the princess from the hands of the evil Bowser. Every time we are close to victory, it turns out that… the princess is in another castle. Can you save her this time?

Galaga Namco

Galaga

Galaga is one of the oldest titles presented by us. The game was released in 1981 by by the Japanese company Namco and instantly became a hit on the then triumphant slot machines. The player takes on the role of a spaceship pilot, and his goal is to eliminate hordes of enemy units.

Over the years, Galaga has had many more and less successful clones. The game has also permanently entered the annals of pop culture. Just remember the scene from the movie Avengers, when Tony Stark catches one of the employees of the SHIELD agency playing Galaga.

Prince of Persia Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Is there anyone who has never played Prince of Persia? For decades, this title was almost synonymous with a platform game. However, not everyone knows that the adventures of the Prince of Persia, who wants to free the princess from the hands of the vizier Jaffar, may never have seen the light of day. All thanks to the game’s creator Jordan Mechner, who at some point abandoned the project and informed his publishers from Broderbund Software that he intended to devote himself to a career in the film industry.

Fortunately, in the end, Mechner changed his mind, and in 1989 the game debuted on store shelves. Interestingly, Jordan Mechner based the animation of the main character of the game on the fight and movement scenes he filmed with his brother, David. Thus, Prince of Persia became one of the first games to use a technique called rotoscoping. The Adventures of the Prince of Persia have had numerous sequels and film adaptations.

Heroes of Might & Magic III photo Ubisoft

Heroes of Might & Magic III

Although one of the most popular game series in history has already had seven installments, none has been so warmly received by players as the legendary “Trójka”. Beautiful graphics, great music, great gameplay and well-balanced factions. It seems that 3DO has found the recipe for the most perfect turn-based strategy game ever.

Years pass, and we keep coming back to the third installment of Heroes and the “Hot Seat” mode (translated in one of the Polish editions of the game as… Hot Buttocks), which allows several players to play together. Maybe it’s worth getting up from the Christmas table and playing a game with your family?

• Play Heroes of Might & Magic III:

Contra Contra

Contra

Every admirer of Sylvester Stallone and his film achievements at least once dreamed of playing the role of Colonel John Rambo. Such a unique chance is given to us by Contra, a game released in 1988 for the NES console. We play the role of a commando fighting terrorists and aliens. The plot is not too sublime, but the gameplay itself provides incredible fun.

At times, this fun turned into irritation caused by our hero’s successive failures. A few years ago, IGN placed Contra on the list of the most difficult games in history. The impatient could make the game easier by using codes. Although Contra works great as a single-player game, it shows its true strength in co-op mode, when we played the role of two bloodthirsty commandos together with a sister, cousin or friend.

Wolfenstein 3D Wolfenstein 3D

Wolfenstein 3D

It’s not for nothing that Wolfenstein 3D is called the “grandfather” of all shooters. It was the adventures of William Blazkowicz, who deals with the Nazis in a Nazi fortress, that started the FPP games boom. The title released in 1992 by id Software delighted with its phenomenal graphics and incredible playability. Wolfenstein 3D still has a dedicated fan base today.

The gameplay consists in traversing dark chambers and nooks and dealing with all kinds of enemies. In the fortress there are secret passages and stashes that contain items necessary for survival, such as ammunition or first aid kits.

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Mortal Kombat Midway Games

Mortal Kombat

The Midway Games title is not a game that is particularly associated with the atmosphere of Christmas. This does not change the fact that Mortal Kombat is the most famous fighting game in history, where a whole generation of players broke thousands of keyboards and joysticks. The game was released in 1992 for the then popular slot machines and almost immediately became a cult title.

Mortal Kombat has had several parts and releases for various hardware platforms – from Amiga, through PCs, to Sega Mega Drive. There were also cinematic adaptations that did not bring great glory to the series. The latest part of the game – Mortal Kombat XI, debuted in 2019.

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