Best 90s Games: 9 Classics That Still Play Well Today

The 90s gets remembered for mascot platformers and grey boxes, but the games that still get opened today are the odd ones — the moody explorers, the slow-burn RPGs, the strategy games you can still ladder on. These nine are all playable right now, no rose-tinted glasses required.

The nine that still play well

A few deserve special mention

Symphony of the Night ages better than any 32-bit game

It popularized the "metroidvania" tag by accident, and its upside-down castle trick is still a fun reveal. Runs on any PS1 emulator and on modern re-releases.

System Shock 2 is the one to play with headphones

The audio design does the horror work, and the weapon degradation forces real choices. Mods clean up the controls nicely.

StarCraft is the only one with a living esport

The ladder is still active decades on. Brood War fans will tell you it's a different game at high APM, and they're right.

For a full decade rundown, the 1990s leaderboard on 9GameGrid has the community's picks.

Which 90s games shaped you?
Build your own 9-panel card on 9GameGrid and share it — no signup needed.

Are the SNES picks hard to set up?
Most re-releases exist on modern platforms, and emulation is one download away. Nothing here needs original hardware.

What about arcade-only 90s games?
A few classics never left the cabinet, but the nine above all got home releases, which is why they're still playable.

Do any need a controller?
The PC strategy and RPG picks are fine with mouse and keyboard; the platformers and the Zelda pick are better with a pad.