Long players
Just like classic albums, these landmark titles retain their ability to excite fans decades after their original releases
NOTHING is guaranteed to make you feel old faster than learning one of your favourite childhood games is about to turn 30.
And what’s more, it’s not the only game from your youth marking a landmark anniversary this year.
It’s fair to say the gaming industry is constantly evolving, so for a franchise to still exist – or still be remembered – after so many years is a major achievement.
This year sees the 35th anniversary of Konami’s run-and-gun shooter Contra, the incredible beat ‘em up Double Dragon, and side-scrolling wonder R-type.
It also marks 10 years since Nintendo launched its muchmaligned Wii U console. But more importantly it celebrates the arrival of these five franchises, which are still beloved by gamers of all ages.
Let’s hope developers and publishers have some special plans in the pipeline to mark these milestones.
METAL GEAR Released: July 1987
Released in Japan for the MSX home computer system, this title laid the framework for the stealth video games we know and love today.
Created by legendary designer Hideo Kojima, it saw you play as Solid Snake (or his dad, Big Boss) who has been tasked with finding a superweapon known as Metal Gear.
The weapon itself is a bipedal walking tank that looks like a cross between Robocop’s ED-209 and an AT-ST from Star Wars – except this can fire nuclear weapons. As popular as it was, it wasn’t until 1998’s Playstation release Metal Gear Solid, which saw a move to 3D graphics, that the series – and Solid Snake - won international success.
The last game in the series – Metal Gear Survive – was released in 2018, so Snake’s return is overdue.
FINAL FANTASY Released: December 1987
Of all the titles marking an anniversary this year, it’s this one which has the richest legacy of them all. Final Fantasy is a sci-fi/fantasy RPG that tells the story of the Light Warriors, four youths who each carry one of their world’s elemental crystals.
When those crystals fall dark, the four set out on a quest to restore their light and save their home.
Final Fantasy was a critical and commercial success, its compelling storytelling and powerful characters setting the standard for RPG games.
And while it had always been popular, the release of Final Fantasy VII on the Playstation in 1997 turned the series from a fan favourite, to an international phenomenon.
Back in October last year, developer Square Enix revealed a logo to mark Final Fantasy’s landmark anniversary – let’s hope there’s something in the works.
SUPER MARIO KART Released: August 1992
Ask anyone who owned a SNES console in the 90s and they will tell you they had the most fun playing Super Mario Kart.
Nintendo’s plucky little plumber was already much loved by fans, and this game saw him joined by a host of other characters from the Mario franchise tearing around wonderful tracks in nippy karts.
Unlike other racing games at the time, Mario Kart saw you armed with a host of ridiculous weapons in a bid to sabotage the progress of your opponents.
Nine further Mario Kart games have been released, the last of which – Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit in 2020 – brought the game into the real-world, with players controlling a physical kart on a virtual track in their homes.
MORTAL KOMBAT Released: October 1992
Who would have believed when Mortal Kombat landed in arcades around the world that it would go on to spawn more than 20 games and several movies – of varying quality.
Developed to rival Capcom’s Street Fighter II: The World Warrior which had been released the year before, it saw a roster of seven larger-than-life fighters competing in a tournament on Earthrealm. The game’s mystical and complex backstory was originally told through a tie-in comic, as the various animated endings for each character gave scant details about their origins.
What set Mortal Kombat apart however, was its graphic depictions of violence and gore – especially the gruesome Fatality – the finishing moves used as a coup de grâce.
The game’s realistic digitised graphics didn’t help matters, as horrified parents found their children gleefully eviscerating virtual opponents in their bedrooms. It was one of the first games which saw an age rating system introduced for the industry. The last game to be released in the franchise was 2019’s superb Mortal Kombat 11. I hope this year will bring news of another chapter.
GRAND THEFT AUTO Released: November 1997
This action adventure title saw players take on the role of a criminal, striving to increase his status within the underworld.
With the action set across three fictional cities, it was instantly hit with controversy for its portrayal of extreme violence – its sale was banned in Brazil.
Players were free to roam around the map, and do whatever they wanted.
Points were gained through the completion of tasks set by local crime syndicates, but you could gain extra points by other means, such as causing death and mayhem on the roads, while evading the police.
While the series enjoyed varied success, it was 2001’s Grand Theft Auto III, released on the Playstation 2, that proved its breakthrough, it was hailed as a landmark in open-world gaming, selling 14.5 million copies. FANUKSIEHGAOMPESECHTHARET(OC)RCIOGMIPNILAEDL BWY Gilflk get a remake as it hits 25 years.