This was, by far, the most complex game of its time. I honestly haven't played much of this game, but rather spent most of my time with its progeny like NetHack and DCSS. I have played enough to be impressed with its challenge and dynamic.

I've played my share of Defender and its clones throughout my days. It's a good time and I could play a good two hours of it every decade or so.

This is not a game that gets old quickly, thanks to its distinct level progression. Ahead of its time and worth checking out today.

I once knew a guy that built a shrine to Dig Dug! It was a wooden shrine, and not a complex series of tunnels underground, which seemed like a wasted opportunity.

I say to the young people, BurgerTime might be the greatest game ever made.

I don't know how I played this, all I know is I played it on my PC years ago, like in the early 90s. It's not a terribly complex game but I have old memories of being captivated by how the game progressed. I had played games more complex than it but I loved how the game was simple and didn't change a lot but still had progression and that excited me.

I played this one very recently and kind of enjoyed it.

A real gamechanger. The complexity of the levels and the overall journey was so fresh at the time and holds up decently. It's still a fun game to play!

I have complicated feelings for this one. It's hard to go back to but I appreciate how opaque it is and it's atmosphere is so immersive.

It's a slog, but it's a slog I like and one I have nostalgia for. I like the adventure elements, like looking for treasure.

This is me cheating a little bit because North American shores never got the MSX version until it was remade for Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, but I have played the English NES version released in 1988 by Ultra and I like this one much better. A game that will be overshadowed by its sequel but still one that's good.

Like Dragon Quest the First, this game is a slog but I have enduring memories of struggling through this game– both it's relentless combat and the adventure game puzzles it has. I found it's world so enchanting.

Welp, the first game of my favourite franchise. This is a very stark gaming experience but I'm glad I tried this original NES release because navigating this world and its dungeons was a very grueling and oppressing challenge and it was satisfying to complete.

Although I've not played the original 1987 version of Maniac Mansion, I know what this game is like and I can intuit what it would be like to play the original Commodore 64 release based on my positive experiences playing the 1989 and Deluxe editions. A "toybox" point and click adventure is a cool idea and this is a fun short adventure experience with a great setting.

Although I think this is the worst Final Fantasy game and played more of it on other releases, this original Famicom version– I played a bit of it and had a decent time exploring the game's strange and melancholic world.

Is this when JRPGs got good? It might be. Although I played the GBC version more, this is still a legitimately enjoyable and crunchy RPG experience on a console where RPGs were just getting started.

Although Doki Doki Panic, of which this game is that except with a sprite swap, was released in 1987, I include it on this list because I am familiar with the English version with the Mario characters. Actually, I don't even know if I ever played the original NES version, because I'm mostly familiar with the version on Super Mario All-Stars.

A classic platformer with intrigue and whimsy around every corner. Not an element of this game was added without it being fun and multi-faceted. The only issue with it I have is that it feels held back by the NES and it's simple controller, but then again my main experience with this game is through Super Mario All-Stars, although I do have fond memories of playing the NES version when I was really, really young.


Although this game came out in 1990 for the US I'm going to attribute it to its Japan release date.

I've come around on this one. I like it a lot now and consider on par with Mega Man 3. It's a solid game all around but maybe even better in some aspects. Love the music!

This game is hard to play and navigate, but I love it. It's got so many interesting ideas and it's unique. Exploring this strange take on 1980's America is a transcendent experience.

A milestone in how good a game can be. It's gameplay is tight, it's level design is enrapturing. All around, a terrific title.