2D never aged: chiselled sprites, hand-drawn animation, perfect readability. This Top 50 pays tribute to the retro games that took 2D to its peak, from run and gun to RPG. RomWize ranks them by its re-evaluated scores and specifies each one's versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"Final Fantasy VI Advance now stands as the best physical way to discover the narrative peak of the 2D Final Fantasy line. The sprawling cast, the arc around Kefka and the world split keep their full writing strength, while the new translation restores many nuances lost in the original US release. The added bonus dungeons stretch the experience without unbalancing it. If only one classic Final Fantasy deserves a try today, this is probably it, and the GBA cartridge remains an excellent vehicle."
"Dave the Diver starts from an absurd idea, dive by day and run a sushi bar by night, and draws a far richer loop than expected. The alternation between ever-changing underwater exploration and frantic restaurant management creates a surprisingly addictive rhythm. The game overflows with episodes, mini-games and digressions, sometimes at the risk of scattering, but its comic energy carries the day. Expressive pixel art and polished animation give it instant character. Recent and solidly built, it will age well. For anyone after a surprising, generous adventure, it is an excellent pick."
"Super Mario Advance 2 is arguably one of the most accomplished ports in Nintendo's history, namely Super Mario World transferred to the GBA with near perfect fidelity and the arcade Mario Bros bonus on top. The jump feel, the Yoshi ecosystem, the richness of the levels and the generous alternate routes remain intact. The only real compromise lies in the slightly tighter framing, with no real impact on playability. Probably the finest portable 2D Mario of the GBA era and an absolute entry point to the series."
"The Pro version sharpens the first game with two extra fighters, lightly tweaked grooves and a more credible balance. It is the edition to favour for discovering this initial Capcom and SNK meeting without enduring the original's loudest mismatches. Animation remains exemplary and the style palette preserves a real identity per character. Less wild than CvS 2 in its ideas, this entry serves as the perfect bridge to the sequel and still carries a very pleasant retro flavour today."
"Considered by many as the peak of SNK's 2D fighting, Garou introduces a fresh roster and the TOP guard system that energises every match read. Oversized sprites, deliberate staging and a wealth of frame data have fed decades of competitive analysis. On Dreamcast the conversion stays very faithful to the Neo Geo release. For anyone with an interest in demanding versus play, this is a historic landmark that has lost almost none of its intelligence or its visual elegance over time."
"Super Mario Advance 2 is arguably one of the most accomplished ports in Nintendo's history, namely Super Mario World transferred to the GBA with near perfect fidelity and the arcade Mario Bros bonus on top. The jump feel, the Yoshi ecosystem, the richness of the levels and the generous alternate routes remain intact. The only real compromise lies in the slightly tighter framing, with no real impact on playability. Probably the finest portable 2D Mario of the GBA era and an absolute entry point to the series."
"Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi's Island, known as Super Mario - Yoshi Island in Japan, marks a total break with Super Mario World, namely Yoshi escorting baby Mario through watercolor backdrops, with egg throws and per island special abilities. The art direction refused DKC pre rendered 3D to defend a hand drawn line that has not aged a day. The Nintendo R&D1 level design is probably the most inventive on the system. Essential for any 2D platformer lover."
"Super Mario World, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 in Japan, is the SNES founding platformer, namely an expanded world map, the introduction of Yoshi and a Mario jump now featuring the spin jump. The density of hidden paths, the generosity of Miyamoto's level design and Koji Kondo's soundtrack remain unrivaled. The handling is a benchmark. Essential to anyone wanting a 2D platformer peak and to any Super Famicom introduction, now as in the 1990s."
"Rayman Origins marks the return to grace of Ubisoft's mascot, and remains one of the finest 2D platformers of the generation. Its UbiArt art direction, made of hand-painted settings and animation of enchanting fluidity, has no equivalent and amazes at every level. The gameplay, of exemplary precision, combines generosity, inventiveness and a jubilant co-op for up to four players. The delirious humour and the sense of rhythm complete an experience tailored for fun. Slightly less rich than its sequel Legends, it is nonetheless a masterpiece, fully recommendable to fans of the genre."
"Dead Cells has stayed relevant where many roguelites run out of breath, thanks to obsessive care for how weapons feel. Every blow lands, every dodge counts, and death instantly fuels the urge to dive back in. The progression cleverly blends permanence and reset, and numerous updates have widened the bestiary and the paths. The animated pixel art remains among the smoothest in the genre. On Switch, handheld comfort is total. Demanding yet fair, the game holds up brilliantly against recent competition without surrendering any of its nerve."
"Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is not a new game but the culmination of an unexpected dialogue between Motion Twin and Konami. This edition bundles the full game with the crossover that injects gothic mood, Dracula, Richter and a handful of weapons borrowed from the saga. For Castlevania nostalgics, finding those themes and that imagery inside such a nimble engine is genuinely joyful. The base remains the impeccable Motion Twin roguelite. If you already own everything the appeal drops, but for a first discovery this condensed version stays the best entry point available today."
"Few indie games have shaped the decade like Stardew Valley. The farm loop, season after season, keeps a rare pull, and every free update enriched the village without ever distorting it. You come to grow crops, you stay for the villagers, the mines, the fishing and a thousand small goals that chain together. The warm pixel art has not aged a pixel. On Switch, handheld play fits its contemplative rhythm perfectly. Four-player co-op extends the pleasure further. A genre landmark, still entirely current and free of missteps, equally rewarding for newcomers and seasoned farmers."
"A Saturn adaptation of the famous Hudson Soft series, Saturn Bomberman offers a multiplayer party game for up to ten simultaneous players thanks to the Saturn multitap, a saga record. The colourful art direction, varied power-ups and absolutely addictive versus mode make it an absolute party game reference on Saturn. For anyone fond of multiplayer party games or seeking an excellent evening game on the Sega console, an absolutely essential recommendation today still without the slightest hesitation for fans truly indeed here."
"Mega Man 2 is the series' absolute masterpiece and one of the greatest video games ever made, across all platforms. Eight memorable Robot Masters, Takashi Tateishi's legendary soundtrack with the Dr. Wily theme now an absolute icon, perfectly dosed difficulty and extraordinarily well-thought complementary weapons make for an experience of rare precision. Capcom lifts the formula to a level never reached again. An absolute classic to know by heart today."
"Mega Man X remains one of the SFC's biggest thunderclaps, namely a Mega Man reinvented for 16 bit with wall jumps, dashes and weapons unlocked on the Mavericks in a player chosen order. The fluid play, the neon pixel art and the Setsuo Yamamoto soundtrack form a very striking whole. Replay value is strong thanks to upgrades hidden in each stage. An absolute recommendation for anyone who loves 2D action, and an excellent entry point into the X subseries."
"Mega Man X remains one of the SFC's biggest thunderclaps, namely a Mega Man reinvented for 16 bit with wall jumps, dashes and weapons unlocked on the Mavericks in a player chosen order. The fluid play, the neon pixel art and the Setsuo Yamamoto soundtrack form a very striking whole. Replay value is strong thanks to upgrades hidden in each stage. An absolute recommendation for anyone who loves 2D action."
"Cuphead has lost none of its daring. Its 1930s cartoon aesthetic, wholly hand-painted and hand-animated, stays unique in gaming and will likely never age. The structure, built almost entirely around inventive boss fights, demands precision and memorisation, and its difficulty remains a deliberate stance that will put off hurried players. But the satisfaction of felling a boss after ten tries is intact. Two-player mode adds joyful chaos. For fans of demanding action and bold art direction, it is a peak still entirely relevant, and a showcase no screenshot truly captures."
"Link's Awakening remains one of the greatest games ever made for a handheld, and time has only confirmed its status. Shipwrecked on Koholint Island, Link explores eight dungeons of unashamed dreamlike strangeness, supported by writing that still surprises and a score etched into the medium's collective memory. The level design is remarkably precise, the inventory turns into an instrument and the ending leaves a lasting wake. Shorter than a console Zelda but utterly elegant, it stays essential for anyone interested in adventure games, in any era."
"Crafted by an inspired Konami team, Ghost Babel remains to this day one of the finest handheld takes on the Metal Gear series. The top down view brings back the tactical clarity of the original MSX game while folding in the staging and codec calls of the Solid era. The Gindra storyline is no spin off filler, the writing and difficulty curve hold up beautifully. For anyone who loves cerebral stealth or wants to explore a lesser known side of the saga, this adventure still feels strikingly relevant today."
"A Link to the Past is probably one of the greatest adventure games ever crafted, and it still feels strikingly fresh today. The two parallel worlds, the nine dungeons with unique mechanics and the environmental writing have shaped the genre for thirty years. Link's controls stay precise, the Koji Kondo soundtrack is timeless. For anyone who has never finished Hyrule on this cartridge, an absolute priority. Even veterans will find renewed pleasure in a well steered second run."
