10 Best Classic Games to Play if You’re Young

The video game industry has grown by leaps and bounds, and each year is so saturated with incredible games that, frankly, it's impossible to keep up with all the projects that interest you.

However, in these hyper-accelerated times, when consuming for the sake of consuming seems to be the only way to engage with video games, taking the opportunity to slow down and revisit those that have fallen by the wayside is becoming an increasingly timely recommendation.

Ultimately, today's interactive works have been built on the shoulders of yesterday's giants, so it's always an interesting exercise in historical recognition to look back and see what preceded our present.

However, countless titles remain masterful even today regardless of their historical significance, which I want to encapsulate in this list of the ten best classic games to play if you're young.

10 Kirby’s Adventure

Nintendo's Underrated Idol

One of the things I value most when inviting new generations to play classic games is the presence of mechanics that feel ahead of their time, and that's always been my impression with Kirby's Adventure.

The ability to consume enemies and change your repertoire of abilities based on their powers was phenomenal in the '90s and remains so today, creating a dynamic of freshness and adaptability that keeps levels from feeling repetitive.

With its colorful aesthetic and vibrant soundtrack, along with a simple campaign structure featuring short levels and mini-games that provide breaks from the game's fast pace, you have a 2D action-platformer that oozes personality and pure entertainment.

Kirby's Adventure will never be the typical recommendation you find in these kinds of articles, but given it's among Nintendo's most underrated icons, I think it's essential to give its legacy the recognition it deserves.

9 Deus Ex

It's Time to Grow Up, Kid

The years immediately before and after 2000 were marked by a significant shift in the style of video games, and none exemplifies this better than Deus Ex.

Ion Storm produced a magnificent immersive sim that elevated the open-ended games' formula by boldly expanding its mechanical and narrative possibilities, immersing you in a cyberpunk setting that feels alive in every corner.

Its divinely crafted atmosphere and story have allowed it to remain timeless, as its ability to redefine what constitutes a truly interactive experience has transcended its temporal limitations, solidifying its status as a masterpiece.

JC Denton's adventure is one you won't forget, not even after a lobotomy, so the invitation to play Deus Ex is always on the table, even in the year the game is set.

8 Max Payne

Stylized Traumas

Considering third-person shooters have evolved less compared to other prominent genres, Max Payne remains the king of a genre that has yet to fully grasp its magnificent lessons.

Without lengthy periods of taking cover or artificially separated levels filled with predictable hordes of enemies, this crime-based adventure set in the coldest nights of New York is an indescribable roller-coaster of sensations.

From the comic-book style narrative to the stylized gunfights in environments as varied as they are familiar, unraveling Max's traumas alongside the mafia and government conspiracies that gave rise to them remains as compelling as few interactive thrillers.

The sense of accomplishment that comes from executing its bullet time perfectly to land your bullets on the heads of three adversaries simultaneously is unparalleled, and that's why Max Payne is still the prototype the genre looks to when it wants to learn how to do it right.

7 Pokémon FireRed

Remaking History

I don't usually include Pokémon games in my posts because I haven't played the franchise in years, but the memory I have of Pokémon FireRed always stays with me among the best gaming experiences I've ever had.

Delving into a series with so many installments, mechanics, and mythology can be overwhelming for a young person these days, so returning to the game that revitalizes the whole phenomenon's origin seems like the best way to, at the very least, understand why there's so much hype.

It's not just a great turn-based strategy game; it feels like a genuine adventure where expanding your Pokédex across diverse biomes, seeing Game Freak's glorious designs in the process, truly feels so joyful and exciting as the anime portrays it.

Furthermore, those pseudo-Metroidvania details thanks to the Hidden Moves that give you access to an expansive map will feel familiar, just as they will be satisfying thanks to the magnificent soundtrack and aesthetics that so well represent the greatness of the Game Boy Advance era.

6 Super Mario Bros. 3

The Legend of Platforming

Platformers were the bread and butter of an entire generation, but the leap in quality, depth, and variety Super Mario Bros. 3 brought truly shattered the genre's standards.

Watching Mario grow across his first three official installments is a magnificent experience, culminating in a game that expands so much in mechanics, levels, and scale that it's difficult to believe it arrived just three years after the original.

More biomes, more power-ups, more enemies, more creative solutions to movement challenges, more bosses, more difficulty, more gameplay systems... It's a textbook example of how to make a sequel your fans will never forget.

Even playing it 30 years later, Super Mario Bros. 3 reinvents itself so many times in such a short period that you can't help but tip your hat to its audacity and talent, vividly demonstrating why Nintendo has managed to stay at the top of the industry for so long.

5 Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening

The Point of No Return for Hack-and-Slash

Despite not being the most influential game in the genre, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening is a work whose ability to remain unscathed by the passage of time is increasingly surprising, as it easily feels like a title released this year.

Thanks to its deep and varied combat mechanics, allowing for a degree of player expression through gameplay unusual for the time, accompanying Dante through his origin story is the entire decade's most ludically exciting experience.

Among the numerous hack-and-slash games I could have chosen for this list, I decided to stick with the one that, without abandoning the era's narrative, visual, and sound tropes, maintains a remarkable 2000s feel while offering wonderful gameplay even by modern standards.

From the choreography of each animation to every song on the soundtrack, Devil May Cry 3 exudes an indescribable charismatic confidence, making you feel like a true demon slayer when the moment arrives.

4 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Super Metroid Also Counts

Given the current prominence of Metroidvanias, any young person who considers themselves a fan of the genre is obligated to play Castlevania: Symphony of the Night to truly understand their favorite titles' origins.

While every argument could also be made about Super Metroid (ideally, they should play both), I chose Alucard's adventure because of how difficult it has become to find a title that actually attempts to replicate its achievements.

The endless gameplay possibilities offered by its deep and extensive itemization system have been seen only a handful of times in the video game industry, and it remains the foundation of a captivating adventure whose bosses, level design, pixel art, and soundtrack are meticulously crafted.

In any case, I completely understand why Symphony of the Night has spawned so few literal successors to its concept, as the explanation is the same one that underpins its greatness: creating a game like this was not easy then, and it still isn't.

3 Half-Life

Valve is Essential

Out of respect for our industry's history, there's an unspoken obligation to try Valve's debut title given the developer's significance, although fortunately, it's a masterpiece like Half-Life.

The dramatic shift Morgan Freeman's original adventure imposed on narrative forms within the video game industry is immeasurable, especially since it remains an exceptionally outstanding action title.

It's impressive how the entire journey unfolds in real time, giving contextual dimension to our firefights across varied and creative levels that offer unique experiences in terms of gameplay, visuals, sound, and rhythm.

From the straightforward, like the considerable variety and polish of the weapons, to the more subtle, like the realistic physics and unscripted sequences, Half-Life is a magnificent FPS that also prepares you to enjoy an even better successor.

2 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

The Definition of Adventure

Every fiber of my being wanted to include the series' first 3D game in this article, though I feel it's also crucial to acknowledge the outstanding foundations The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past provided for the franchise.

By perfecting the 2D formula to an almost absurd degree, it established the fundamental principles for item-based progression, achieving a significantly better balance than its predecessors while still maintaining the exploration and experimentation that the series is so beloved for.

While I understand a bidimensional experience is less appealing to younger players due to their lack of familiarity with it, A Link to the Past is a masterpiece that can easily open the door to understanding the greatness of games with this perspective.

The increase in 3D was pivotal in pushing the video game industry forward, but if you want to discover why developers are still making 2D projects, I can't think of a better alternative than this marvel.

1 Chrono Trigger

The Eternal Father

Numerous generations have passed, various comprehensive transformations have taken place, new ways of understanding video games have emerged, and yet Chrono Trigger remains the father of them all when it comes to JRPGs.

If there is a video game in this world capable of captivating even the least avid gamer, it's this time-traveling blessing, whose ability to charm you in every possible way remains unsurpassed.

The first time you see an animated cutscene, hear one of its themes, board the Epoch, fight a boss, perform a combo attack, or take in any of its panoramic scenes, your entire brain chemistry will shift to make you fall in love with the game.

Speaking in terms of perfection is something I tend to take lightly, under the premise that nothing in this life is truly flawless, except when it comes to mentioning Chrono Trigger's sheer grandeur.

Even if you don't like pixel art games, turn-based titles, or anything related to the 90s, giving Chrono and his friends' journey a chance is one of the best self-care treatments a person can do in their life.