Legendary games that haven't aged well

Returning to classic games is a tradition for many gamers, but sometimes, viewing these games through the lens of nostalgia makes them look even better than they actually were. Looking back, it's easy to understand why they’re so beloved by the gaming community.

These are some games we remember fondly, from a time when we played more carefree. We seek to return to these games hoping to recapture that feeling. But the problem is that they don't always stand the test of time.

Remember when you watched PlayStation 2 soccer games and said, "It's so realistic! It looks like I'm watching the game". For the time, the mechanics and graphics were unparalleled. But today, they’re visibly crude, looking like stacked blocks. Especially in recent years, technology in the gaming industry has skyrocketed, improving its quality and functionality; looking at these old games becomes painfully difficult.

But let's make something perfectly clear: many of these classic games have excellent story quality, and many of them easily surpass modern titles. What we're going to look at are issues of functionality, mechanics, and other details that make the modern versions a better choice for those who want to relive a taste of nostalgia. And if we missed any, or if you have any questions, just leave a comment.

Definitely a Classic. Even though Dark Souls it's undeniably great and probably still one of the hardest games ever made, after playing Dark Souls 2 or Dark Souls 3 (or even Bloodborne) it's simply too much. Certain aspects, like the level design, or even the fact that the game makes you traverse the entire map multiple times without fast travel, make the whole experience feel exhausting.

Compared to other games, the combat is clunky, unresponsive, and frustrating for a game that already punishes you naturally. And with these problems, it becomes masochistic. The hitboxes and tracking of grab attacks are ridiculous compared to later games and even games of its time. Furthermore, some of the boss area attacks are simply insane. For their time, they might’ve been good, but compared to today's evolution, they're unplayable. We want a challenge, not an impossible task.

Call of Duty is at its best moment for the gaming community. This is mainly because, like a boat adrift on a starless night, the franchise lost its way (poetic, isn't it?). The game went from being one of the first to popularize FPS games to having space robots battling on a futuristic battlefield. Indeed, many people turned their noses up when a game they considered serious and realistic became sci-fi.

However, playing the first games means you'll have to deal with dated mechanics. The hitboxes were almost as terrible back then as the graphics. The combat isn't nearly as dynamic or interesting as any of its successors, not to mention that the terrible dialogue and audio make the original more of a headache than a nostalgic ride.

A game that doesn't pass the "15-year rule" and is best left to your memory, where it's much better than it actually is. Besides, you can simply wait for Call of Duty: World War II if you're eager for some classic World War style combat.

I have very fond memories of playing on a Nintendo 64 and taking turns with that strange controller after dying from a proximity bomb hidden in a door or a box that would give me the coveted Golden Gun. GoldenEye 007 was great back then, but whenever I go back to try that sweet Golden Gun, I'm tormented by the problems with this game.

Aside from the great advancements since then—like aiming down sights, firing bullets, or controlling recoil—the combat isn't as satisfying, as you'll find yourself hitting everything except what you're aiming at. It's the same as some of the others, since the hitboxes are terrible, and while getting the Golden Gun was a highlight and my sole objective, it's completely game-changer. There's nothing more frustrating than taking a shot with the most accurate and versatile weapon in the game, while all other pistol shots hit the back wall.

The franchise has always been a lot of fun and a great way to learn about how to assassinate someone in the Middle Ages, Egypt, feudal Japan, and other historical periods. However, some of the nostalgia and the feeling of revisiting that original game that thrilled you so much back then doesn't outweigh the game's problems.

The worst part of the first game is the parkour mechanics. It's incredibly difficult to endure, after so many advancements in the franchise, throwing yourself off a tower to your death because the game misinterpreted your "climb" command as "jump".

No one with any common sense would jump off a tower out of nowhere, but the game thinks they should. The combat is also very easy. Today there are parry and roll mechanics, but back then it was just a matter of stacking bodies. The frequent collision glitches make this game very frustrating to play nowadays. Wait for a remake. They're remaking everything. The remake will come out eventually.

Currently, if you want to play Mass Effect, the Legendary Edition solves many of the original's problems. But if you want to experience the original game to have the true experience of the 2007 release, then you'll end up frustrated. The combat was terrible. The cover system didn't help. Enemies attacked from blind spots on the screen, and you were running around trying to figure out where the shots were coming from.

The graphics also look dated, Shepard's running animation is stiff and robotic, Mako's controls are terrible, and the female Shepard doesn't even have a standard face (she only got a unique face in the third game). Go straight to the Legendary version if you want to experience Mass Effect, or play Mass Effect Andromeda, which is actually good despite its problems.

Another game that, if you want to experience a bit of nostalgia or learn how it all began, is better played in the Leaf Green and Fire Red versions, because the original Game Boy version is very, very dated. The sounds the original Nintendo handheld could produce were very high-pitched and almost painful to the ears.

The game has freezing issues when the console performs absurd internal calculations, and getting a simple bicycle takes forever. Furthermore, the old Pokémon designs were truly awful. Poor Charmeleon: it was never anyone's favorite (everyone loves Charmander's cuteness and Charizard's imposing presence, but Charmeleon is just that in-between dude with nothing special). Not even the most passionate GenWunner really enjoys playing the original nowadays.

Mortal Kombat wasn't just one of the most controversial games ever made, but it also revolutionized the way we play video games, creating a rating system that still exists today. However, the first game looks so bad nowadays. The motion capture of real actors, which was incredible at the time, is now so pixelated that you can barely recognize the characters and their expressions during the fight. And Sonya, in that gym outfit? What happened? Did she finish Pilates before joining in the tournament?

The problems we see today are the terrible hitboxes and the repetitive, low-frame animation moves, which can't be used effectively in a combo. With dated visuals, strange hits (especially in the fight against Reptile, who was much faster than the other fighters) and the same monotonous music, this game doesn't live up to its reputation. Leave it behind and stick with Mortal Kombat 1.

This is an example of a game that has aged terribly. Especially when compared to the masterpiece that is The Witcher 3, playing The Witcher 1 is a challenge that only the biggest fans of the franchise will face. This one is painfully dated. Should we talk about the visuals? We could, but it would be redundant—after all, it's clear that the current visuals are better—so let's leave that aside and address the biggest problem: the combat stance system.

It could’ve been something revolutionary and different, but it was terrible. Changing stances mid-fight, depending on the enemy, depending on the situation, would work if the game didn't throw three or four enemies at you at once. So, constantly switching styles for this or that enemy, having to figure out who takes more damage with this or that style, and dying before you could find out. There are rumors of a remake. Let's pray!

Before Lara Croft became a cultural icon portrayed in films by names like Angelina Jolie, she traversed cavernous tombs and catacombs, solving ancient and mysterious puzzles as Tomb Raider. Lara Croft's adventures were praised by gamers and critics alike for their revolutionary concept and graphics, not to mention the countless rumors and legends about how to make her naked during the adventure—something that never happened.

While the atmosphere remains, the graphics, understandably, don’t. Considering how long ago it was made, it was clear that the graphics would be dated. However, an even more glaring problem is the game's absurdly poor controls. Tomb Raider emerged at a time when 3D games were a new phenomenon, and developers didn't quite understand how to make a character move fluidly in three-dimensional spaces.

We have a current remastered version with more solid controls. So, if you want a trip down memory lane, you can revisit Tomb Raider 1 without having to get mad with frustrating controls and blocky graphics.