Topic: Are there still "classic" games being made?

This idea came to me as I was reflecting on beating Shovel Knight for the first time. It's a great game but it doesn't feel like one I'd go back to in 10 years. I was wondering if those classic games are still being made as in: What games from the last 10 years do you think you'll still be playing in 20 years? If Shovel Knight had been released in 1987 would it still be played today and thought of as an all time great? Are the games great or does our nostalgia falsely elevate their status? If Megaman 2 was originally released this year would it still be considered a triumph or just a retro ripoff? Just wanted to see what people think. I still play my NES and SNES regularly but rarely find myself pining for my Wii games or even Gamecube games (but they both have some great ones). Discuss!

Well, everyone has their own classic games from their childhood that they like to play every now and again. In general though, I think there are a few that will go down as "classics" in the future.

Half-Life, Super Mario Galaxy, Portal 2, Dark Souls, Uncharted, etc.

Legend of zelda a link between worlds.
Luigi's mansion.
Castlevania dawn/aria of sorrow.
Lost Magic.
Super Mario Galaxy (1 and 2).
To name a few.

You can't determine what is a classic until 10+ years after it's made.

...well someone had to point out the elephant in the room...

Mario Kart 8
Super Mario World 3D
Pokemon
Hopefully Splatoon!

I consider the SNES to have the best overall native library of all consoles, but all 3 of my most replayed games are less than 20 years old and on consoles that came out after the SNES.

So yes, there are still classic games being made.

I agree. I don't believe in instant classics. Classics are the ones who endure the test of time, as in our times it is hard for a game to break new ground as say, Super Mario 64.

So was the original Tomb Raider. :T

I grew up on NES, SNES, & Genesis. I own all 3 consoles & tons of revered games for them. However, when I wanna play classics I go to my favorite consoles Dreamcast, Gamecube, & PS1. Most of my favorite games to play again & again are on those consoles. That said, I think it's clear that classics no longer immediately bring 2D to mind. In fact, I have way more favorite 3D games than 2D. I'd say last gen has it's fair share of classics as well. Uncharted 1 is the first that comes to mind for me. I've replayed that game numerous times over the last 6 or 7 years.

Personally, i think Uncharted 2 will be the classic. kind of like how street fighter 2 outshadowed Street fighter 1. And there is probably Last of Us, which people are still talking about. And LBP

It's a fad. Popularity is going to die down soon unless Mojang pulls something crazy out of their...erm, helmets, since hats don't exist in Minecraft.

What time period are we talking here?

I doubt it. Uncharted 2 relies heavily on setpieces and blockbuster cliches that could easily render it obsolete should the industry start improving and/or moving away from those elements. Not to mention IIRC, the AI of all of the 1 or 2 recycled enemies you fight in the entire game were pretty bad.

The Last of Us suffers from similar ploblems, except far worse in the gameplay department, instead relying entirely on its cutscenes and atmosphere, which might work for or against it depending on where stories go in the next 10 years.

And LittleBig Planet...wasn't even good as a game in the first place. The controls and physics are terrible. It's a game-making tool box. Once someone makes better tools, it'll be long forgotten.

I'm not gonna pretend I can accurately predict how games are going to be percieved years from now, because no one can, but out of the thousands of games out there, those are 3 I would definitely put money down on not aging well.

I'm not even a huge Little Big Planet fan, but you have to admit that the game is very charming. Whether or not that helps it age well is beyond me.

Some people are saying Mario Kart 8. That is ridiculous! Mariokart 8 is a classic up until Mario Kart 9 is released. No one will be playing Mario Kart 8 in 20 years

For me, a classic has to change gaming in some way. Megaman 2 wouldn't be a classic if it was released today but it is a classic because it was mind-blowingly good when it was released and we grew up playing it because of that. The last truly 'classic' game that I know for a fact I'll be playing in 20 years is Super Mario Galaxy. There have been truly great games like A Link Between Worlds that I might be playing in 20 years but it is not a revolutionary game like A Link to the Past - which I am more likely to be playing in 20 years.

If by "classics" you only mean the games people will be playing in the future, it's most likely the games which won't have superior sequels. Skyrim is a game which nearly everyone has played by now, but in ten or twenty years, it might be forgotten as the Elder Scrolls Games keep on improving with each release. I'm guessing every single survival game and anything with zombies will be forgotten. Most Nintendo games people will play since it seems like 75% of what they make becomes a classic anyways. Also, every console game which relies heavily on its online mode will be abandoned within five years.

Really good post, except I think many of the Resident Evil games from 4 or earlier could be classics.

I was looking through the Steam sales featured items and was going to pick up a bunch of big name franchises of the past few years that I normally would pass over for very low prices...and it occured to me how few of them really appealed to me.

So I did pick up Dark Souls for $5.00 and I'll try that. At least that has some interesting art direction and atmosphere...not to mention difficulty!

I find some of the more ambitious indie games and classic RPG style games appeal to me more then the big budget linear "set-piece" games and the sandbox mayhem simulators. Many games also had DLC that cost several times more then the core game itself when tallied up! I miss expansion packs...you paid one price, generally 30-60% of the base game, and it breathed whole new life into the game you bought six months or a year ago.

Nintendos games will always be in demand no matter the age.

I think a lot of what makes a classic is a game that did something "first" and did it really, really well, to the point where other games copy it and it becomes industry standard. I think Ocarina of time is regarded so highly because it did so many things right. In fact, as a series as a whole, the Zelda series tends to always be highly regarded because Nintendo sticks with the formula, but refines the gameplay.

I think it will be difficult to have true classic games in today's day and age. Everything has been done to death in most genres that you just have a game that does things really well. I think what we have now are classic series (of which Mario Kart is another one) that do things mostly right with every iteration that the high quality of the series is to be expected. This is why I am a Nintendo fan, because they seem to be the only company that does this with their series, by and large.