Modern game developers have the luxury of having nearly infinite computing power at their fingertips. If they want to include something in a game, the technology exists to do it. Early game-makers, however, had to work under mind-boggling constraints. They could only use so many colors at once, depict so many characters on-screen, play so many sounds at the same time. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of modern gaming's greatest hits and think about what they might've been like back in the days of tough-as-nails, 8-bit glory.

(The images for these games are from 72 Pins. If you like one of these retro-inspired cartridges, buy it! They're all for sale on the website.)


 
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10

Halo

Bungie
 
 
Get your Zappers ready, kids. Half vehicular platformer, half light-gun, Halo is a 100% rocking good time. Pro-tip: hold down to "victory crouch" your enemies after shooting them.

 
Enter Value
9

Bioshock

2K Games
 
 
While some of the gameplay elements are simplified in the NES rendition of Bioshock, the developers managed to retain the Ayn Rand-inspired dystopic story to its full glory, keeping the game as nihilistic and morally relative as it ever was.

 
8

Silent Hill

Konami
 
 
Get ready for a new kind of horror ... point and click horror. Silent Hill will have you WALKing around the desolate town, SEARCHing for clues, TALKing to any survivors you find there, and FIGHTing those things that go bump in the night.

 
7

Angry Birds

Rokio
 
 
Those darn pigs are at it again, and it's up to you to stop them! Throw those furious fowls at the pigs to defeat them and track down your missing eggs. Angry Birds NES is compatible with the Nintendo Power Pad and Power Glove.

 
6

Castle Crashers

Behemoth
 
 
Fight your foes! Fight your friends! A four-player co-op or competitive brawlfest featuring eight huge levels and sixteen, yes sixteen, massive bosses!

 
5

Skyrim

Bethesda
 
 
Customize your character with over three unique faces! Two character classes to choose from! A dozen NPCs to converse with! Countless caves and dungeons to explore! Skyrim will have you jump, skip, and fus-ro-dah-ing your way towards fun!

 
4

Katamari Damacy

Namco
 
 
The stars have fallen from the sky, and the Prince of the Cosmos needs your help! Platform around the world, sucking up everything in your path to make new stars, all the while trying to keep your dad, the King of the Cosmos, occupied with fun distractions like fishing and origami.

 
3

Dead Space

EA Games
 
 
Engineer Isaac is having a bad day. First his girlfriend disappeared, and now there are monsters popping up all over his ship. You'll run, jump, and shoot your way through nine twisting spaceships, all while looking for your lady. Try to contain your laughter when you reach the end of the first level and are confronted with the following message written in 8-bit blood: "Thank you Isaac, but your girlfriend is in another spaceship."

 
2

Super Meat Boy

Team Meat
 
 
Soul-crushingly difficult, bizarre characters, and chiptune music so catchy it'll haunt your ears? Super Meat Boy may not have originally come out on the NES, but its soul is pure Nintendo.

 
1

Devil May Cry

Capcom
 
 
A mix of Mega Man and Double Dragon, Devil May Cry has you traversing the world, beating up devilish thugs and shadowy reaper puppets, gaining a new weapon and abilities with each boss you best.

 

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