Your Essential Games

[SlipSlot]

Hi all,

First time poster here but I've been tinkering in emulation for some time.

I'm building a collection of games for my RetroPie and although I've played my fair share of titles over my years, there's still many must have's that I've never touched.

To make sure I have a really comprehensive list I'd really love to hear everyone's must have games from each console that they currently emulate.

Which games can my collection not live without!?

[space cadet]

Depends on what you like! Too many choices!

[SlipSlot]

@space-cadet well I have pretty varied tastes but I really wanted more of other people's personal favourites so that maybe I could discover something new.

[Brigane]

@slipslot I found lots of new games mentioned in this thread
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/17047/share-your-hidden-gems-and-insider-tips

[BobHarris]

This is of course a very personal subject.
But if I could only keep 5 games on my Pi..and choosing from a variety of genres I would pick:

• Final fantasy VII (ps1)
• Street fighter III second impact (arcade, FBA)
• Destruction derby 2 (ps1)
• Doom (ps1)
• Oddworld abe's oddysee (ps1)

These games are utterly unmissable on my Pi and are always high up there in the 'last played' list.

[mediamogul]

@bobharris said in Your Essential Games:

But if I could only keep 5 games on my Pi..and choosing from a variety of genres I would pick:

Going off that premise, my five would be:

• Super Mario World (SNES)
• Twisted Metal 2 (PS1)
• Dragon Warrior Monsters (GBC)
• Black Widow (Arcade)
• Tetris & Dr. Mario (SNES)

[SlipSlot]

@BobHarris Thanks so much! Gonna grab the few I'm missing and give them a spin.

[SlipSlot]

@mediamogul Certainly some lesser known ones there, would you say TM2 is the better of the series or just more nostalgic to you?

[m2306]

Bionic Cammando for NES. Totally different from the arcade game. Very clever gameplay mechanics. Totally epic ending, blew my mind when I was a kid. This game got a graphical upgrade and rerelease on XBox or PS a few years back but the original is surprisingly good after all these years.

[thelostsoul]

Probably the most incomplete list

Here is a short list of games I compiled for this thread, just because its fun to do. It is a tough question (or more precise, the answer is tough) and the result can change any minute. Home computers like Amiga or C64 are not covered, because they involve keyboards or even worse, a mouse sometimes. Also N64 and some Arcade games are problematic, so they are excluded too. The Arcade itself isn't a system and with Neo Geo included as a separate system, it feels like cheating. Just for the sake of this thread, I selected 7 essential games for 7 essential systems.

---

Arcade

1. Pac-Man
2. Donkey Kong
3. Bubble Bobble
4. Puzzle Bobble
5. Shock Troopers
6. DoDonPachi
7. Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo

NES

1. Super Mario Bros.
2. Super Mario Bros. 3
3. Legend of Zelda
4. Contra
5. Punch Out
6. Mega Man 2
7. Castlevania 3

SNES

1. Super Mario World
2. Zelda - A Link to the Past
3. Super Mario Kart
4. Donkey Kong Country 2
5. Final Fantasy 6
6. Chrono Trigger
7. Super Metroid

Mega Drive

1. Sonic the Hedgehog
2. Street of Rage 2
3. Earthworm Jim
4. Micro Machines '96
5. Mega Bomberman
6. Devil Crash
7. Thunder Force 4

Game Boy

1. Tetris
2. Super Mario Land
3. Zelda - Link's Awakening
4. PokéMon
5. Mario's Picross
6. Wario Land 2
7. Donkey Kong

Neo Geo (only those with AES home console ports)

1. King of Fighters '98
2. Samurai Shodown 2
3. Garou - Mark of the Wolves
4. Metal Slug 3
5. Sengoku 2
6. Windjammers
7. Super Sidekicks 2

Playstation

1. Final Fantasy 7
2. Final Fantasy Tactics
3. Metal Gear Solid
4. Gran Turismo 2
5. Tekken 3
6. Resident Evil
7. Castlevania - Symphony of the Night

---

Note: The SNES would get easily 50 essentials on its own, but for this list I used the knife to cut it down (the SNES god may forgive me for this). In example, there are classics like Pilotwings, F-Zero, Actraiser, Super Street Fighter 2, Terranigma, Secret of Mana, Yoshi's Island, Uniracers, Super Bomberman 2 and 100 more not covered here! Same goes to the Arcade! On the Playstation I left out GTA, Ridge Racer, Wipeout, Tomb Raider, Soul Edge, Parappa the Rapper, Einhänder, Suikoden 2 and so on.

I am also a little bit confused, that many of Neo Geo games aren't realeased as home version (known as AES), but use the same core as the console. I think Puzzle Bobble are one of those titles. If someone can bring some light to this, I would be happy. I saw that at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Neo_Geo_games

[SlipSlot]

@m2306 said in Your Essential Games:

Bionic Cammando for NES. Totally different from the arcade game. Very clever gameplay mechanics. Totally epic ending, blew my mind when I was a kid. This game got a graphical upgrade and rerelease on XBox or PS a few years back but the original is surprisingly good after all these years.

I actually gave this a go and was totally surprised by the tight and unique controls, very impressive for it's time. Just a little too clunky to get too much in to without nostalgia to help back me up! Thanks so much though!

[SlipSlot]

@thelostsoul I checked out everything you suggested and added ones I loved to my favourites! Thanks for the help! =D

[mediamogul]

@slipslot said in Your Essential Games:

@mediamogul Certainly some lesser known ones there, would you say TM2 is the better of the series or just more nostalgic to you?

Sorry, I missed your post somehow. In answer to your question, 'Twisted Metal 2' is indeed generally considered to be the best of the original PS1 series and there's a strong argument that it's the best all around, as many of the later games continue to borrow elements or outright copy the format. After the first two games, Sony had a contractual dispute with the developers, SingleTrac and as a result, TM3/4 were handled by 989 Studios. While they were a great team themselves, they were never able to capture the feel that the series had strongly established.

Most of the guys from SingleTrac reorganized as Incognito Entertainment and returned to Sony, where they produced 'Twisted Metal Black' for the PS2 which bears a considerable resemblance to 'Twisted Metal 2'. In a surprising turn of events, instead of developing a sequel to Black, they talked Sony into allowing them to create one more TM game for the original Playstation based solely on their love for the system. That game ended up becoming 'Twisted Metal: Small Brawl' and is a pretty strong entry itself.

[SuperFromND]

I wouldn't say these are "essential" as much as "my favorite games for each system", but hopefully something in here will catch your eye. :)

Atari 2600: Either Pitfall game
NES/Famicom: Kirby's Adventure
SNES: Super Mario World
Satellaview: BS Zelda no Densetsu
N64: Super Mario 64
Game Boy: Super Mario Land 2
Game Boy Color: Shantae
Game Boy Advance: Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
Virtual Boy: Virtual Boy Wario Land
Sega Genesis: Sonic 3 & Knuckles (or Sonic 3 Complete if you don't mind some QOL modifications)
Sega Saturn: N/A, Saturn doesn't perform well enough on the Pi to list anything
Sega Dreamcast: Rez
Playstation 1: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Playstation Portable: N/A, PSP doesn't perform well enough on the Pi to list anything
Arcade: Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga Class of 1981 [you get two games + a secret third in one!]
Neo Geo: Windjammers
Neo Geo Pocket Color: Sonic Pocket Adventure
ScummVM: Secret of Monkey Island
ResidualVM: Grim Fandango
Commodore 64: Monty on the Run
Sharp x68000: Bosconian

[VictimRLSH]

@mediamogul If I could only have 5 games, I'd want ones with near infinitely replayability for variety.

1. MechForce (Amiga) - The most accurate and complete Battletech sim ever. With random arena, patrol, and mission modes. A very tough and competent AI as well.
2. Ancient Domains of Mystery (Rasbian Native, Amiga) - An extrememly difficult solo character rougealike RPG. Several infinite random dungeons add to replayability
3. Advance Wars (GBA) - Highly challenging campaign, set war room scenarios, as well as random battles vs. multiple CPU opponents.
4. Starcraft Broodwar (PC via DosBOX, N64) - Though challenging to get running, some HAVE got it working on DosBOX using Win95 emulation. The N64 version is almost as good and has a very large selection of the original game maps. This game has legendary replayability and still has a large fanbase of active players.
5. The Speed Rumbler (Arcade, MAME 2003) - A great game to just let off steam and actually have some FUN. The action devolves into total chaos and you have to fight your way through the mayhem. YES, the game does have an end, but there doesn't seem to be any end to how much fun this game is to play, and with the 'heavy' games on this list a palette cleanser is definitely needed.

BTW MediaMogul, it says in your .sig that you use a 128gb USB drive with your pi, is that just to store files to move onto the SD for easier management in the menus, or do you retropie-mount with it?

[BobHarris]

@supercatfooz I'd disagree on the psp argument. On my non overclocked Pi I play my favorite tennis game on there (Virtua tennis 3) and also Metal slug XX runs very well.. great game.

[Clyde]

@mediamogul said in Your Essential Games:

Sorry, I missed your post somehow. In answer to your question, 'Twisted Metal 2' is indeed generally considered to be the best of the original PS1 series

Thanks for the history lesson. :) My best friend and I loved TM2 on PS1 back then, but man, did we miss a coop multiplayer mode. We had much fun playing PVP, but coop appealed to us much more (and does so up until today).

[mediamogul]

@victimrlsh

Advance Wars (GBA)

You've got some good selections there and I could easily switch out 'Dragon Warrior Monsters' for 'Advance Wars' myself. I'm slowly working my way through the whole 'Wars' series. I finished 'Famicom Wars' a few months back and I'm currently about half way through 'Super Famicom Wars'. However, even with its sequels, I have yet to find one that I like better than 'Advance Wars'.

or do you retropie-mount with it?

I retropie-mount it.

@Clyde

My best friend and I loved TM2 on PS1 back then, but man, did we miss a coop multiplayer mode.

There's a lot to like about that first game. While I prefer the second and was very good at it, The first TM was one of the few games I can claim to have "mastered" to the point where no one I knew would play me one-on-one. I knew Roadkill's handling and the maps so well that I could easily drive anywhere backwards at full speed. Seeing as how, for the most part, all weapons are launched from the front, I would use this familiarity and intentionally drive past a street where I knew my opponent was, as if I couldn't find them. They'd see me pass, give chase and just when they had a big smile on their face, I would perform a "Rockford spin/moonshiner's turn" and unload everything while driving backwards and mirroring their path. I would then cut down the first available side street where they would either already be turning anyway to desperately get away, or I would use it to flank them from behind if they went straight. Great memories, great times.

[VictimRLSH]

@mediamogul Checking out Dragon Warrior Monsters now. I really loved the monster arena modes in the other Dragon Warrior games. So what is the plan here, do I just keep warping to the next area through the gates and level up this slime until something else happens?

As for mounting the USB drive, while it obviously greatly increases the available storage for a much lower price, does your performance increase or decrease?

[mediamogul]

@victimrlsh said in Your Essential Games:

do I just keep warping to the next area through the gates and level up this slime until something else happens?

Even though there's the goal of saving your sister, 'Dragon Warrior Monsters' is really a never-ending RPG. With that in mind, you could say that the ultimate goal is to obtain the most powerful group you want through the intricate breeding system. I've had the same game going since 2001, when I used to emulate it on my Cassiopeia E-100. The monsters I'm using now are the great, great, great... etc grandchildren of the monsters I caught seventeen years ago, bred with newer monsters I've caught and bred along the way. You can even breed to get the end bosses from previous 'Dragon Warrior' games. Each generation becomes more powerful than the last and the offspring will learn the skills of both parents.

If you know what you're doing, you can also breed in resistances from the parentage that make the offspring immune to many common attacks. Altogether, the possible breeding combinations are incalculable, making for an infinitely customize-able experience. The warps you mentioned are randomly generated, also allowing for an infinite amount of dungeons to level up in. Some prefer dungeons that have a set design, so the sequel kind of has a mix of random and designed dungeons. Many, maybe even most, consider it to be the superior game, but I've never been a fan of breaking a game's content into two cartridges, which is what DWM2 does. You really can't go wrong with either game and only in the later sequels do the design choices become questionable.