Fun is what keeps you saying "just one more game" at 2 a.m. This Top 100 gathers the retro games with the most immediate and most lasting playability, based on RomWize's reassessed scores. For each title: its current score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"Gathering a handful of varied adventures and mini-games on a single cartridge is the generous promise of this Kirby entry. Inhaling, copying powers, calling an ally to help: the formula blossoms with rare richness. The co-op mode and the variety of modes grip for hours. Gentle, clever and bursting with ideas, a peak of the series, accessible to all."
"An FPS with assumed weight and heaviness, where every clash breathes the intensity of a grimy, visceral war. The feel of the weapons, the heft of movement and the oppressive atmosphere create a gripping immersion. Technically spectacular and snappy in multiplayer, a shooter that bets everything on the realism of chaos and delivers a raw thrill in every firefight."
"Grinding rails, tagging walls and shaking off the cops to a cult soundtrack: everything breathes freedom and style. The blazing cel-shading and constant motion deliver a glide unlike any other. Bold back then, just as cool now, this urban ballet remains a burst of pure energy."
"A dive into the Cold War through a breathless campaign with varied missions, and a multiplayer of fearsome depth paired with a Zombies mode turned cult. Co-operating to survive waves of undead delivers a gleeful release. Snappy, generous and packed with modes, an FPS that multiplies the ways to play and guarantees hours of intense action."
"The arrival of the manual changes everything: linking two tricks with a balance on the wheels opens up near-infinite combos and multiplies the joy of the chain. Levels built for virtuosity and a cult soundtrack complete a perfect balance. Freer, deeper, this entry is often cited as the absolute peak of arcade skating. Immediate and inexhaustible."
"Slicing through hordes of demons with unstoppable style, alternating sword and guns to sustain an endless combo: here, the fun comes from the pure class of the combat. The more you chain with flair, the more the game rewards boldness. Snappy, demanding and furiously cool, this pioneer of stylish action laid the foundations of a whole genre."
"Behind its adorable pixels lies an adventure of razor-sharp precision: pinpoint jumps, tucked-away secrets and weapons that grow stronger the more you explore. Every room begs to be combed through, and the affection for its characters makes you want to wander this little world again and again."
"The levels open up like little playgrounds where you take on challenges on the fly, with no menu or imposed timer: this new freedom energises an already perfect formula. Chaining sprawling combos remains a joy of precision and flow. More generous, more clever, this entry extends the joy of arcade skating with flair and overflowing replay value."
"Seeing Ryu cross paths with Terry Bogard once felt like an impossible dream, and the clash of two schools of 2D fighting delivers from the very first round. A ratio system, a boiling atmosphere and a legendary roster make you want to chain matches. For anyone who loves a brawl, this versus peak hasn't lost a degree of its fever."
"Exploring a teeming Hyrule, flipping between the Light World and the Dark World and solving dungeons of perfect ingenuity: this adventure lays the foundations of an entire genre. Every screen rewards curiosity, every item opens new possibilities. The joy of discovery never fades. Timeless, dense and spellbinding, an absolute peak of action-adventure."
"Over fifty fighters, teams of three and assists that turn the screen into a permanent firework: this crossover pushes excess to the point of vertigo. The gleeful chaos of the fights doesn't preclude immense depth, savoured for years. Legendary, accessible and inexhaustible, arguably the peak of tag versus."
"The sequel transcends the concept: the creation workshop now lets you build not just levels, but entire games, from shoot'em up to puzzle. The joy of playing and creating reaches new heights, carried by intact charm and joyful co-op. Charming, generous and infinitely rich, a limitless playground of expression that turns every player into a true creator of worlds."
"Scaling the rooftops of Florence and Venice, planning your assassinations and diving into a gripping plot at the heart of the Renaissance: this entry lays the foundations of a formula turned cult. The fluidity of the parkour and the joy of free movement grab you from the very first steps. Rich, immersive and superbly made, a peak of historical open-world adventure."
"Bounding through 3D levels designed like playgrounds, donning the cat suit to claw walls and climb anywhere, all with up to four players at once: 3D platforming here is as readable as it is gleeful. Co-op mixes teamwork and rivalry in joyful disorder. Inventive, colourful and bursting with ideas, a family peak of the genre."
"Gathering a handful of varied adventures and mini-games on a single cartridge is the generous promise of this Kirby entry. Inhaling, copying powers, calling an ally to help: the formula blossoms with rare richness. The co-op mode and the variety of modes grip for hours. Gentle, clever and bursting with ideas, a peak of the series, accessible to all."
"Running, jumping and stomping Goombas to the right: three moves are enough to understand, a whole life isn't enough to forget. The perfect handling, the genius level design and the joy of the pixel-perfect jump defined the platformer for decades. Immediate, luminous and timeless, the game that saved an industry stays a model of efficiency and joy."
"Beneath its cute platformer looks hides a world of dark humour, parodies and deranged set-pieces nothing prepared you for. The irreverent writing and the wild variety of situations surprise at every stage. Bold, funny and full of cheeky ideas, an unforgettable oddity that gleefully subverts the genre's conventions."
"The triumphant return of the king of 2D fighting, reviving the formula with a striking visual style and gameplay of exemplary precision. Landing a devastating combo or a saving parry delivers an instant satisfaction, while mastery is savoured indefinitely. Snappy, balanced and accessible, a benchmark versus that relaunched a whole genre and rekindles the flame of competition."
"For the first time, you step off the board, walk and climb to build the story of a skater starting from nothing: this unprecedented freedom reinvents the series. The blend of virtuoso combos and personal adventure brings fresh air, without losing any of the riding joy. Endlessly customisable, it's an ambitious, exhilarating arcade skater to live through."
"Here, slamming into your rivals is no longer an accident but the goal: triggering a takedown by hurling an opponent into the scenery delivers a brutal, hilarious satisfaction. The speed hits new highs, the boost chains endlessly and crashes become an art. Aggressive, spectacular and fiercely addictive, arguably the peak of the series."
