Pinpoint gameplay and a feel that hasn't aged a day: some games are still a joy with a controller in hand, years later. This Top 100 gathers the retro games with the most polished gameplay, based on RomWize's reassessed scores. For each one: its current score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"Drawing in slow motion thanks to Dead Eye to mark out your foes lends the gunfights a thoroughly western flair, at the heart of a living open world. Riding, hunting and duels make up a sandbox of rare coherence. A genre touchstone, it preserves an exhilarating gunplay and an atmosphere whose spell hasn't faded."
"Z-targeting redefined 3D sword combat: aiming, dodging and countering become intuitive and fluid, laying down a grammar that countless games have copied since. Clever dungeons, a coherent world and crystal-clear progression round it out. A few textures have aged, but this foundational handling still plays today with undiminished pleasure."
"Blending cover-based gunfights, frantic climbing and light puzzles sets up a cinematic adventure rhythm of immediate fluidity. Climbing, jumping and aiming flow seamlessly into one another across spectacular settings. The first milestone of the saga, it shows its age a little in its repetitive gunfights, but retains an exploration thrill that's as keen as ever."
"Combining genetic powers with firearms to trap, electrocute or incinerate your enemies opens up a deliciously free range of approaches. Exploring Rapture, dense and harrowing, rewards curiosity in every corner. While the gunfights sometimes lack precision, the ingenuity of the plasmids and the unique atmosphere still hit the mark, controller in hand."
"Augmented notably with Undead Nightmare, this edition extends an open-world western where Dead Eye elevates every shootout. Exploring, hunting and challenging outlaws remains a constant pleasure. More generous still, it makes the finest gateway into a classic whose handling has aged admirably."
"Cruising a neon-lit city behind the wheel, stringing together missions, shootouts and property deals offers a sandbox of heady freedom, carried by an action loop that still works. The arcade driving and the variety of chases sustain instant gratification. The aiming and certain missions betray their era, but the open world's momentum stays irresistible."
"The pinnacle of the military FPS of its era, it alternates spectacular scripted sequences with firefights of relentless intensity. The precision of the controls and the breakneck pace of the campaign sweep everything before them. Its multiplayer of old shows its age online, but the joy of shooting remains formidably effective."
"Punching two portals to reroute momentum and gravity turns every room into a spatial riddle of fearsome elegance. The gradual introduction of gels and beams constantly renews the thinking. A model of first-person puzzling, it preserves a crystal-clear logic and an inventiveness whose ingenuity hasn't aged a day."
"Slipping by unseen by playing the angles, the noises and a surprisingly reactive AI offers a depth of approach rare for its time. The smallest corridor becomes a tactical puzzle that a thousand gadgets let you crack. The controls take some getting used to, but the richness of the stealth sandbox and the finesse of its mechanics remain striking today."
"A dash, a pixel-perfect jump, a screen barely cleared: the demand is total, yet short room-by-room chunks and Assist Mode make it fair rather than cruel. The dash, simple on the surface, keeps revealing new depth. The story about anxiety gives every fall meaning. A peak of the platformer, as relevant as on day one."
"The summit of the trilogy, this second installment weds dizzying climbing, cover-based firefights and grandiose set-pieces in an unbroken flow. The handling has firmed up, and every sequence vies for spectacle. A model of the cinematic adventure, it retains a pacing and a staging whose mastery still impresses."
"Slipping by unseen by playing the angles, the noises and a surprisingly reactive AI offers a depth of approach rare for its time. The smallest corridor becomes a tactical puzzle that a thousand gadgets let you crack. The controls take some getting used to, but the richness of the stealth sandbox and the finesse of its mechanics remain striking today."
"Moving your units across the grid has never been so gripping: the weapon triangle, paired duo attacks and the bonds woven between characters give real weight to every decision. Adjustable difficulty and optional permadeath open the tactical genre to all without sacrificing any of its depth. A mechanic of rare elegance, just as addictive today."
"A pipe that starts to ripple, a herd that stampedes, rules upended without warning: Wonder Flowers tip every level on its head and keep a rare freshness alive. The animation sparkles, badges shade the difficulty, and four-player co-op turns into joyful chaos. It stays gentle overall, yet it's one of the most inventive 2D Marios in years."
"Freezing a puddle, electrifying it, turning a battlefield into a living puzzle: elemental interactions give a tactical depth few imitators have approached. You can talk, steal, or teleport past an obstacle, and that freedom is intoxicating. The density daunts and the interface struggles on a small screen, but four-player co-op, betrayals and all, stays a rare treat."
"Drifting in antigravity along a wall, holding your line amid the shell chaos: the handling clicks at once for beginners while leaving real room for experts. The Pass's forty-eight tracks swell an already generous package. Battle mode disappoints and luck frustrates near the top of the pack, but local or online, the party holds up beautifully."
"Roaming a strikingly realistic Liberty City, blending scripted missions with emergent chaos: that's the strength of a sandbox of staggering density. The deliberately heavy driving disorients at first before revealing its own coherence. The physics may have aged, but the narrative ambition and freedom of action remain rich enough to leave a mark even now."
"Taking a simple monster contract and being plunged into a human tragedy: it's the side-quest writing, still envied today, that carries everything. The living world lends weight to every decision. Sword combat shows its age and the Switch version concedes clear visual sacrifices, yet holding the complete adventure, expansions included, in your hands stays a small miracle."
"Unleashing combos on titans of outrageous scale, switching between weapons and magic, then punctuating the carnage with spectacular QTEs: the action never lets up. The firm, legible handling serves a staging that stays grandiose throughout. The peak of the trilogy, this deluge of stylish violence keeps an intensity that still impresses."
"Taking the gravity mechanic and pushing it further, faster, denser: the sequel tightens its focus around pure challenge, chains the trickiest galaxies and adds a Yoshi of jubilant powers. The jump precision and the limpid camera stay exemplary. Less surprising in structure than the first, but of superior generosity and demand."
