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Game developers manage to continually evolve and create new options for players. New genres are still cropping up after all these years of playing and sometimes we see trends in the industry.
When Fortnite came out we saw a huge number of different Battle Royale style games and we’ve seen similar trends and evolutions with things like survival horror games. Not many games in the 90s and early digital days incorporated mechanics like crafting but these are now very common in games. But even in an industry constantly evolving there are a lot of people who still want to play games that have always been popular. Some genres just never go out of fashion.
Table games actually predate the internet by hundreds of years. It says something that as soon as developers had the capacity they created online versions of games like blackjack that people could play. Casino games are now played more commonly online rather than in person and there has been a big evolution in the industry as people go mobile in the modern age.
Casinos have also introduced a lot of varieties and different ways to play but the basic principles of some games like blackjack and poker have remained exactly the same over the years and continue to be very popular. Even the basic versions have millions of players around the world.
Table games can also include some other strategy-based games like chess which are now more commonly played online than they are in person. There are always new varieties and ways technology changes things. People have even been experimenting with strategies that have been put together by AI in recent times on poker games:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8NldtWSa9F/There’s no denying that fighting games were at the heart of arcade culture in the late '80s and '90s. Two iconic franchises that came to define the genre (being played on consoles as well as in arcades) are Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Street Fighter II (released in 1991) revolutionized one-on-one fighting games but also introduced many concepts that still appear in modern fighting titles. Things like combo moves and distinct characters with unique abilities are still common. This game has even been reworked and re-released in the modern age.
Mortal Kombat brought its brutal and visceral combat to the forefront with its famous fatalities turning heads. MK had famous sound effects that people still use today. The words “finish him!” will get any MK fan talking. It shows the impact that the game had.
Both franchises remain incredibly popular today with their modern releases staying true to their roots while offering updated graphics and mechanics.
The competitive scene for these games remains vibrant, with tournaments like the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) continuing to showcase the best players from all corners of the world. Both games are household names!
Modern gaming keeps giving people new ways to play and these games can even now be played within a browser!
Age of Empires games were classics in many people’s eyes. RTS was defined by this era and some people still play the games that were released all those years ago. AOE2 has had a resurgence since being ported onto Xbox.
Real-time strategy (RTS) games emerged in the '90s and remain popular with a dedicated fan base of fans who like to give their brains a workout – StarCraft took RTS into the realm of science fiction. Players control one of three distinct races (with cool names like Zerg) in their search for galactic dominance.
The game's competitive scene has thrived for over two decades. It is still played a lot in South Korea where it became a national pastime and laid the foundation for modern esports.
Age of Empires is still getting updates and a team of devs actively works on the game even though it has been on the market for 25 years (think of all the tech updates in that time).
People like to train and test their brains. No list of timeless games would be complete without mentioning Tetris. Originally developed in the 1980s the game continued to grow in popularity throughout the '90s and is still one of the best-selling games of all time. Its appeal lies in its simplicity: players rotate and arrange falling blocks to form complete lines while the speed gradually increases.
The genius of Tetris lies in how easy it is to learn but how difficult it is to master. This contributes to making it equally engaging for casual gamers and hardcore players. The game has been ported to almost every platform imaginable and its influence can still be seen in modern puzzle games today.
A good game is a good game. It doesn’t always matter whether it has the best graphics or modern functions as people are more drawn to either story or mechanics in most games. Plenty of 90s (and earlier) games still get played today.
