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.
"What starts as a tribute to the arcade game quickly blossoms into a vast adventure: over a hundred levels packed with platform puzzles and Mario's acrobatics. Find the key, reach the door, gauge your jumps: everything is built for the satisfaction of the move. An underrated peak of the console, rich and clever."
"The grand conclusion of the original trilogy, where the Master Chief leads the final fight against the Covenant in spectacular clashes. The precise gunplay, the vehicles, and above all a multiplayer and co-op that became legendary create an inexhaustible pleasure. Spectacular, generous and masterful, an FPS that marked a generation and remains an absolute benchmark of online play among friends."
"Glide along a wall, soar, bounce from foe to foe: movement flows like an aerial choreography. The fights gain real bite while the world opens into a web of secrets. The grace of motion and the beauty of the scenery make exploring intoxicating, and the urge to press on never fades."
"Pushing forward gunning down everything that moves, freeing prisoners and triggering explosions galore: the run'n'gun hits a snappy, hilarious perfection here. The pixel animation of rare finesse and the ever-present humour elevate a relentless action. Two-player, the gleeful chaos never lets up. A monument of the genre whose impact stays intact today."
"This enhanced version adds new fighters, fresh modes and refined balance, polishing an already masterful formula. Building your ideal character and chaining devastating combos delivers a snappy, deep pleasure. Rich, balanced and accessible, an even more complete benchmark versus, that rewards mastery and guarantees clashes as tense as they are exhilarating."
"A world map, transforming costumes and levels of endless inventiveness: this platforming peak overflows with ideas on every screen. Flying in the Tanooki suit, tearing through fortresses, hunting secrets: everything invites exploration and wonder. Perfect handling, mad generosity and intact joy, arguably one of the greatest games ever devised, as gleeful as ever."
"A playground of dizzying scale, spread across three cities and entire countryside, where you fly, shoot, swim, drive and improvise endlessly. The density of activities and the total freedom deliver an exhilarating feeling: everything seems possible, at any moment. Funny, immense and full of personality, one of the most memorable open worlds ever devised."
"Carving through hordes of mythological creatures with chained blades, punctuating the carnage with spectacular finishers: cathartic violence pairs with breathtaking staging. The frantic pace and the readability of the fights make every clash a joy. Brutal, epic and masterfully crafted, a peak of action on the console."
"The epic conclusion of the trilogy, pushing spectacle and emotion to their peak, with co-op up to four and a Horde mode enriched with fortifications. The legendary sense of weight and the brutality of the clashes stay intact, elevated by top-tier production. Spectacular, generous and masterful, a TPS that closes a cult saga with as much flair as generosity, ideal in co-op."
"The third entry pushes the spectacular staging even further, with memorable sequences in the heart of the desert and scenery that collapses in real time. The polished writing and relentless pace maintain a constant tension. Spectacular, generous and superbly made, an interactive blockbuster that confirms the series at the peak of action-adventure, to experience like a great film."
"Tight-timed counters, multi-tier arenas and spectacular throws: the action reads at a glance and impresses straight away. Fluidity astonishing for its time makes every exchange a rush, even before you master a thing. Gorgeous, fast and welcoming, this 3D fighter keeps a flair that still commands admiration."
"A timeless masterpiece carefully rejuvenated: Link's quest gains depth and comfort without losing any of its magic. Exploring Hyrule, solving clever dungeons and playing the ocarina deliver an undimmed wonder. The 3D and the tweaks smooth out the adventure, ideal for rediscovering it or finally living it. A spellbinding journey, built to last."
"Weapon-based fighting reaches a rare perfection here: duels of astonishing fluidity, eight-way movement and characters of wild elegance. The handling welcomes newcomers while the depth rewards mastery. Technically stunning at launch, it remains one of the most admired fighting games of all time."
"The whole arsenal of Super Mario Bros. 3 gathered on a handheld: the Tanuki suit, spring boots, a teeming overworld map and levels of timeless inventiveness. Every jump breathes precision and every screen hides its surprises. The perfect handling and overflowing variety grip you from the first world to the last. An absolute peak of platforming, to savour anywhere."
"The most complete take on the king of fighting games on Sega's machine: every boss becomes playable, the speed is yours to tune, and every blow lands with real precision. You keep starting rounds for the thrill of tense duels, well-timed specials and reading your rival's intent. With its legendary roster and tactical depth, it remains a title you eagerly pull out again, pad in hand, ready to throw down."
"Build a poker hand, stack the Jokers, watch a modest combo erupt into an astronomical score: the thrill is instant. Every run chases a new synergy, and the promise of an even crazier combination keeps you redealing endlessly. Simple to grasp, dizzying to optimize, it's the very definition of the addictive loop."
"Bringing dozens of Nintendo heroes together to throw them into a brawl as crazy as it is technical: that's the recipe of a party game turned legend. The basics are instant, yet the depth of the fighting fuels years of mastery. With four players, the gleeful chaos never lets up. An absolute must of friendly fighting."
"The saga's blazing swan song, this 2D versus charms with its edge and its tight-timed Just Defend system that rewards boldness. The superbly animated characters deliver exchanges of exhilarating fluidity. The handling stays accessible, yet mastery is savoured for a long time. A peak of SNK fighting, intense and elegant."
"Finding Yoshi and the teeming world of Super Mario World on a handheld screen is diving back into one of the greatest platformers ever made. Every jump breathes precision, every level hides its secrets and hidden exits. The perfect handling and the generous level design grip you relentlessly. A timeless classic, ideal to explore anywhere."
"Playing the Dark Knight in a nightmarish asylum, alternating fluid combat, predatory stealth and puzzles, means slipping into the vigilante's skin like never before. The melee system, of fearsome elegance, delivers instant satisfaction with every chain. Dark, gripping and masterfully designed, a peak of the superhero game that redefined everything."
