There was a time when video games generally cost $40. Then, suddenly, every game cost $50, and then $60, only for the biggest games to now cost $70 with $80-$90 games on the horizon. Despite the price hikes, game quality and content hasn’t always kept pace with technological advances. For folks looking for the fun-factor in video games without the disproportionate price tag, consider checking out games that came out years ago.
While a list like this could go for pages, here are three games originally released before 2010 that still hold up today and cost $20 or less on modern consoles.
Shadow of the Colossus (2005)
Before games such as “The Last of Us” or “God of War (2018)” presented their stories like a Hollywood Blockbuster, “Shadow of the Colossus” pioneered how cinematic video games could get. From roaming an empty world on horseback in deafening silence to hanging on for dear life on the back of a skyscraper-sized creature while a sweeping orchestra plays in the background, this game provides a specific kind of thrill that can’t be found anywhere else.
The barebones boss rush nature of the game and janky controls may be a dealbreaker for some, but people willing to overlook those aspects are in for a unique, profound and overall fun experience. “Shadow of the Colossus” is available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 for $20.
Final Fantasy I-VI (1987-1994)
Technically six games rather than one, the first six mainline “Final Fantasy” games are all fantastic choices that could have made up this entire list. The “Pixel Remasters” released from 2021 to 2022 feature changes that make the games more accessible, but are otherwise more true to the original releases with the omission of extra content and mechanics added in prior re-releases.
Featuring solid turn-based combat, fleshed out worlds to explore and anthology-style stories independent of each other that are moving even years later, all six games are high-quality experiences available on all modern consoles. The bundle with all six is $75, but each game individually costs just $12 or $18, depending on the title. This is a steal, considering that these games can take 30 hours or longer for a single playthrough.
Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
An obvious pick for this kind of list would be the original “Super Mario Bros.,” released in 1985, but “Super Mario Bros. 3” from 1988 on the NES is even more timeless. Subsequent side-scrolling releases in the “Super Mario Bros.” franchise built upon the foundation this game set with few changes made in the decades since. Mainstay features to the franchise like world maps, animal-themed powerups and Koopaling boss fights at the end of each world originated in “Super Mario Bros. 3.”
The game features eight uniquely themed worlds, each with a variety of challenges that are worth playing, if only to experience the roots of side-scrolling “Mario” games released in the last era. While it hasn’t recently been re-released in a standalone manner, “Super Mario Bros. 3” is part of the NES collection accessible with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription for $20 a year. If a single game isn’t enough of a selling point, the subscription also includes features such as more NES games, SNES games, Game Boy games, access to a Nintendo music app and online functionality for Nintendo Switch games, just to name a few.
