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.
"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."
"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."
"Versus play stripped to its purest form: Champion Edition finally lets you take control of the bosses and dive into furious mirror matches. Every clash hinges on timing, reach and the patience to wait for the perfect opening. You come back for the instant clarity of one-on-one, no frills, where only skill decides. A benchmark that keeps all its bite decades later."
"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."
"Bringing the fighters of Virtua Fighter and Fighting Vipers into the same arena means offering a dream crossover to fans of 3D brawling. The huge roster, the zany secret characters and the snappy handling guarantee duels as varied as they are gleeful. With several players, the urge to chain matches never fades. Generous, fun and packed with surprises."
"Chaining grinds, jumps and tricks in pursuit of the longest combo: it all rests on this joy of flow and precision that quickly grows obsessive. The levels, built for chaining, brim with lines to discover, and the energetic soundtrack sets the mood. Immediate, addictive and stylish, an arcade skater that turns every session into a quest for the perfect score."
"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."
"A return to roots for the bloodiest fighting saga: brutal combos, reinvented gory fatalities and staging of assumed violence. The snappy handling rewards memory of the chains, and every spectacular finisher delivers a guilty satisfaction. Rich in modes, generous and built for the duel, a cult versus that reconnects with its DNA with flair."
"The manual makes its entrance and changes everything: linking tricks without ever touching the ground opens combos of dizzying length. This new depth, married to memorable levels and cash to spend on upgrades, multiplies the addiction. Richer, freer, more gleeful, this entry is often cited as the absolute peak of arcade skating."
"Dashing, wall-climbing and weapons stolen from bosses: this snappy reboot modernises the blue robot's formula with exhilarating fluidity. Discovering hidden upgrades and improving your armour rewards exploration relentlessly. The fast pace and the growing sense of power grab you at once. Precise, stylish and deep, a peak of action-platforming that has never aged."
"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."
"Taming a jet-ski on water that swells and responds to every turn: the wave modelling delivers a unique riding sensation, at once demanding and exhilarating. Learning to read the swell and round the buoys becomes a pleasure of mastery. Bright, smooth and surprisingly technical, an aquatic racer with no equal."
"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."
"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."
"An action game of fearsome demand, where you play a whirling ninja in ultra-fast, technical fights. Mastering dodges and counters delivers an exhilarating satisfaction, worthy of the challenge offered. Snappy, brutal and beautifully fluid, a brawler that rewards precision and composure, for fans of uncompromising action."
"This edition refines the game mechanic further, with more natural animation and a responsiveness that makes every play rewarding. Turning a match around with a lightning break or a long-range strike delivers an instant thrill. Mode-rich and thrilling with several players, a football simulation whose gameplay quality made it the benchmark of an entire era."
