Fun is what keeps you saying "just one more game" at 2 a.m. This Top 100 gathers the retro games with the most immediate and most lasting playability, based on RomWize's reassessed scores. For each title: its current score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"Laying bombs to trap your rivals in an explosive maze: this version pushes the limits of multiplayer by welcoming up to ten players in gleeful chaos. The polished adventure mode and the unbridled arenas guarantee endless laughter. Instant strategy, constant tension and maximum conviviality: arguably the best Bomberman of its generation."
"The third entry pushes the spectacular staging even further, with memorable sequences in the heart of the desert and scenery that collapses in real time. The polished writing and relentless pace maintain a constant tension. Spectacular, generous and superbly made, an interactive blockbuster that confirms the series at the peak of action-adventure, to experience like a great film."
"Seeing Ryu cross paths with Terry Bogard once felt like an impossible dream, and the clash of two schools of 2D fighting delivers from the very first round. A ratio system, a boiling atmosphere and a legendary roster make you want to chain matches. For anyone who loves a brawl, this versus peak hasn't lost a degree of its fever."
"Dashing, wall-climbing and weapons stolen from bosses: this snappy reboot modernises the blue robot's formula with exhilarating fluidity. Discovering hidden upgrades and improving your armour rewards exploration relentlessly. The fast pace and the growing sense of power grab you at once. Precise, stylish and deep, a peak of action-platforming that has never aged."
"Over fifty fighters, teams of three and assists that turn the screen into a permanent firework: this crossover pushes excess to the point of vertigo. The gleeful chaos of the fights doesn't preclude immense depth, savoured for years. Legendary, accessible and inexhaustible, arguably the peak of tag versus."
"Scaling the rooftops of Florence and Venice, planning your assassinations and diving into a gripping plot at the heart of the Renaissance: this entry lays the foundations of a formula turned cult. The fluidity of the parkour and the joy of free movement grab you from the very first steps. Rich, immersive and superbly made, a peak of historical open-world adventure."
"Gathering a handful of varied adventures and mini-games on a single cartridge is the generous promise of this Kirby entry. Inhaling, copying powers, calling an ally to help: the formula blossoms with rare richness. The co-op mode and the variety of modes grip for hours. Gentle, clever and bursting with ideas, a peak of the series, accessible to all."
"This edition refines the game mechanic further, with more natural animation and a responsiveness that makes every play rewarding. Turning a match around with a lightning break or a long-range strike delivers an instant thrill. Mode-rich and thrilling with several players, a football simulation whose gameplay quality made it the benchmark of an entire era."
"Trading shots at a furious pace, reading angles and placing the killer stroke in a Mario world full of whimsy: the instant handling hides real tactical finesse. The doubles mode quickly turns to friendly mayhem, especially when the bounces chain up. Sparkling, snappy and fiercely convivial, an arcade sport built for shared fun."
"A 2.5D beat 'em up of unheard-of cinematic style, where the hero triggers action-movie special effects — slow motion, zoom, fast-forward — to floor his enemies and solve puzzles. This brilliant idea delivers unique sensations and a stylish release. Colourful, snappy and zany, an adventure of crazy inventiveness that looks like nothing else."
"Flying in spirals through dreamlike worlds, chaining acrobatics and tracing perfect lines to inflate your score: the sense of aerial freedom here is simply unique. The fluid handling and the enchanted soundtrack deliver instant euphoria. Dreamlike, elegant and exhilarating, this Sonic Team masterpiece reinvents the joy of pure movement."
"Exploring a teeming Hyrule, flipping between the Light World and the Dark World and solving dungeons of perfect ingenuity: this adventure lays the foundations of an entire genre. Every screen rewards curiosity, every item opens new possibilities. The joy of discovery never fades. Timeless, dense and spellbinding, an absolute peak of action-adventure."
"Playing as Yoshi carrying baby Mario, gulping enemies to turn them into eggs and aiming at targets with gleeful precision: this crayon-styled masterpiece overflows with ideas and tenderness. Every level reinvents its mechanics with wild inventiveness. Gorgeous, clever and deeply satisfying, a platformer apart that charms as much as it challenges, timeless down to its very linework."
"The triumphant return of the king of 2D fighting, reviving the formula with a striking visual style and gameplay of exemplary precision. Landing a devastating combo or a saving parry delivers an instant satisfaction, while mastery is savoured indefinitely. Snappy, balanced and accessible, a benchmark versus that relaunched a whole genre and rekindles the flame of competition."
"The levels open up like little playgrounds where you take on challenges on the fly, with no menu or imposed timer: this new freedom energises an already perfect formula. Chaining sprawling combos remains a joy of precision and flow. More generous, more clever, this entry extends the joy of arcade skating with flair and overflowing replay value."
"The arrival of the manual changes everything: linking two tricks with a balance on the wheels opens up near-infinite combos and multiplies the joy of the chain. Levels built for virtuosity and a cult soundtrack complete a perfect balance. Freer, deeper, this entry is often cited as the absolute peak of arcade skating. Immediate and inexhaustible."
"Merging into walls to slide along them like a fresco, renting your items to tackle dungeons in any order you like: this rediscovered freedom breathes fresh air into the top-down adventure. Exploration rewards curiosity on every screen, and the puzzles remain a treat of ingenuity. Brisk, clever and deeply satisfying."
"Slicing through hordes of demons with unstoppable style, alternating sword and guns to sustain an endless combo: here, the fun comes from the pure class of the combat. The more you chain with flair, the more the game rewards boldness. Snappy, demanding and furiously cool, this pioneer of stylish action laid the foundations of a whole genre."
"Bringing together a wild cast of heroes, beyond the Nintendo universe, to throw them into a brawl as crazy as it is technical: that's the recipe of a cult party game. The instant handling hides a depth that fuels years of mastery, and the overflowing content impresses. Four-player, the gleeful chaos never lets up. An absolute must of friendly fighting."
"Here, slamming into your rivals is no longer an accident but the goal: triggering a takedown by hurling an opponent into the scenery delivers a brutal, hilarious satisfaction. The speed hits new highs, the boost chains endlessly and crashes become an art. Aggressive, spectacular and fiercely addictive, arguably the peak of the series."
