Think back to your earliest memories of seeing video games in action, hazy as they may be. Just gripping the controller yourself was more of a rush than stealing from the guarded cookie jar. Exploring a new game filled with cool and delightful treats never failed to instill a satisfying warmth.
I remember begging my parents to take me on their shopping rounds with them; partly to ensure the replenishment of cookies but more importantly to search for a new game. You can't forget gleefully studying the manual on the way home, loudly reciting the 'Powerups' page to whoever was unfortunate enough to be in the car for that trip.
So I've made a list of 10 games that remind me of that timeless happiness. They're in no particular order beyond as chronological as I could make it.
10. Sonic the Hedgehog
Sega Genesis - 1991, Sonic Team
Ah, Sonic. I believe Sonic the Hedgehog was my first platformer. Honestly, this entry really encompasses the original trilogy. If I recall, my parents already had a Genesis and a bunch of games before I was born (bravo, guys), and one of them was Sonic the Hedgehog. So, I was already equipped to experience the magic.
The colours, the speed, the music, the charming yet lethal enemies, the music, Dr.Robotnik, the level design, the god damn music. All of it was exciting, but the one thing that conjures up that nostalgic warmth the quickest is the music. Remember Spring Yard Zone? How about Starlight Zone? Other favourites include Chemical Plant Zone and Mystic Cave Zone. And of course the zone that started it all, Green Hill Zone.
The Sonic trilogy and all its glory will forever be ingrained in me.
9. Flashback
Sega Genesis - 1992, Delphine Software
Changing the tone somewhat, Flashback was a grittier, more mature platformer. Placed in the shoes of Conrad Hart, you find yourself on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, with no memories and the company of an alien species. The story unfolds as you make your way through fights and puzzles. It was rather substantial in plot and technical fidelity. Although, I had zero comprehension of this at the time.
Having said that, I don’t remember struggling with the game much. I couldn’t tell you how far I got, but the most vivid memories come purely from the core experience. Leaping across a gap you were unsure you could make and clinging to the opposite ledge was nail-biting. Sneaking past enemies as they patrolled their elevations was intense. Most of all, outsmarting a game at that age felt like you deserved the entire cookie jar.
By the way, the title sequence is one of the best from that time. Man, I seriously get goosebumps hearing it again.
8. Dynamite Headdy
Sega Genesis - 1994, Treasure
If we’re talking comprehension issues, Dynamite Headdy takes the cake. Not because it was complex – oh no – but because it was bat-**** insane. Apparently, evil puppet king “Dark Demon” is converting innocent toys and puppets into evil minions. After escaping capture himself, Headdy decides to stop the king by defeating his army.
Oh yeah, and Headdy’s rival is a weird machine puppet with an angry cat head. Here’s a snippet of the kind of absurdity I’m talking about. That’s pretty early on, so that’s tame. It’s all styled like a stage show, which provides some interesting imagery. I never really grasped it as a kid, but I do remember wondering why the health indicators were lights. Why I questioned that, of all things, I don’t know.
In any case, it was fun, vibrant and bizarre. And painfully difficult, given my youth.
7. Pokemon Yellow
Game Boy - 1998, Game Freak
Coming out of Sega Genesis, Pokemon Yellow was my first Pokemon game. I played it on the Game Boy Color and I’d pestered my dad to order it online for me. It was also the first time I had to wait for a game’s delivery. Not only was I getting a new game, but I had the built-up anticipation of religiously checking the driveway for the postman. So, of course, the morning it arrived was pretty much an early Christmas. I played it all damn day and it was amazing.
By the release of Pokemon Yellow the anime had already started, which was just the cherry on the top. Having a cartoon running about the game you were playing provided a different level of connection to the experience. As for the game itself, it was essentially my first RPG. I hadn’t played a game before this that had involved as much depth. Really, it was a big step up.
I suppose Pokemon has a special place in many people’s hearts; mainly those in my generation.
6. Disney's Aladdin
Sega Genesis - 1993, Virgin Games USA
Alongside playing games, I frequently watched Disney films growing up. My grandparents had a ton on VHS, so I was giddy every time I went to stay with them (plus, they had cookies). Aladdin happened to be a favourite of mine. Despite the initial release on the Genesis, we had the DOS version. Aladdin was just one of the games I’d played on PC, but it’s one of the more memorable titles.
The characters, the music, the storyline. It was all there. Although, much of the game was a real pain in the ass, if I recall. The dungeon level? And the caves? Yeah, I imagine they taught me how to properly throw a controller. I think maybe I was getting to the stage in human development where I could fully comprehend what was on screen, only I JUST. COULDN’T. DO IT.
But it was still Disney’s Aladdin, and I loved it.
5. Disney's The Jungle Book
Sega Master System - 1993, Syrox Developments
Yuh-huh. Apparently, I wasn’t deterred by Aladdin in the slightest and decided another dose of Disney punishment would be awesome. Memory fails me here, but I’m getting the feeling that Jungle Book was actually harder than Aladdin. Again, I played the PC version, which I believe was developed by Virgin Games.
It was a similar affair to Aladdin, all in all. It had the familiar characters, music and locations. Very charming, very iconic. I always enjoyed playing a game that mirrored the established brand. As I mentioned with Pokemon, it had an additional level of connection. You knew the characters and you could spot the references. It was truly fun. I mean, the fun dissipated with each death, but still.
Oh, and the constant monkey screams were…just lovely, you know? Remind yourself.
4. Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer
Playstation - 1999, Insomniac Games
The Playstation was really my own first console, which brought along so many good games. Spyro 2 was among the best, as I think most people agree. You will know it as “Ripto’s Rage!”. Spyro was an adorable purple dragon whose mission in this game was to thwart the sorcerer Ripto’s attempts at ruling the land of Avalar.
You had to travel from portal to portal, clearing a huge variety of levels. You visited jurassic canyons, Asian temples, arctic plains, warm beaches, and too many more to list. They all featured different enemies, tasks and even puzzles. Jesus – thinking back over it all – this game had an awful lot of content. It gave you so much to do and it was all classic platforming. Spent many hours on this one and I love it dearly. I never thought I’d say this, but they really don’t make games like this anymore.
Oh, the happiness!
3. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
Playstation - 1998, Naughty Dog
Crash Bandicoot was basically Spyro’s fellow platformer king. As far as I know, he’s absolutely nowhere to be seen these days, but that’s kind of a good thing. I mean, Spyro’s around, but he actually looks as though he’s been force-fed drugs (look at me, Spyro – it’s not your fault. It’s not your fault!). It’s rather upsetting. Anyway, happy thoughts…
Crash played similarly to Spyro in that you had a central “home” environment littered with level portals. Like Spyro, there were a ton of them. The platforming was a little different, mind. There were interesting segments like chase scenes and 2D viewpoints, but levels were mostly linear with only one winding path. I feel that’s what made Crash inferior to Spyro, but it was still a memorable game and I played it a lot.
2. MediEvil
Playstation - 1998, SCE Cambridge Studio
All of these Playstation games had buckets of humour, but MediEvil is the only game on this list to add a drop of horror. It genuinely scared me at points and I’ll get to that in a second, but MediEvil has always been one of my top games. I hadn’t seen anything like it; it was a hack ‘n slash adventure in a cartoony horror setting.
You assume the role of Sir Daniel Fortesque, the skeletal corpse of a failed soldier reanimated when evil sorcerer Zarok magically raises the dead of Gallowmere. You roam the land defeating Zarok’s forces in each level, obtaining weapons and equipment as you go. Now, let me tell you, some of the enemies were quite horrifying. Anyone remember the stained-glass demon? I didn’t like him. I didn’t much care for the zombified townsfolk in the Sleeping Village level either.
There were other levels like Scarecrow Fields and Pumpkin Gorge. MediEvil was super interesting and super creepy. One of the best.
1. Ape Escape 2
Playstation 2 - 2003, SCE Japan
I can’t tell you how much I love this game. I said at the beginning that the list isn’t ordered by anything other than chronology, and it isn’t, but Ape Escape 2 may as well be number one anyway. For some reason, my gaming nostalgia is always especially strong for Ape Escape. I’m not saying that it beats games like Spyro and Pokemon, but god damn, it’s tempting.
I played the original Ape Escape on Playstation beforehand and that’s what swung it for me. If you don’t know, the origin of the series is that a regular monkey called Specter finds an experimental helmet that boosts intelligence. With his incredible new insight, he develops an evil persona, makes his own helmets and then distributes them to other monkeys to form a mischievous army. Your job is to go from level to level utilising various gadgets in order to catch the monkeys with the Monkey Net.
The second Ape Escape was even better, so I chose that one. The art style is fun and humourous, the levels are varied and imaginative, the gadgets are all cool and useful. The monkeys are hilarious. Even the boss fights are interestingly done. One of the best platformers I’ll probably ever play, and I’ll always remember beating monkeys with a stun club and trapping them in a net.
I don't think I mentioned it, but this game also features the best mini-game in existence; Monkey Football.