“retro” Games

1. Yoshi's Story

Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch2

Yoshi's Story is playable through Nintendo Switch Online's Nintendo Classics catalog. The N64 platformer sends Yoshi through a storybook world collecting fruit to restore the Happy Tree. GPA scores it at the top for Beginner — the design prioritizes discovery and comfort over challenge, making it one of the most accessible entries in the Nintendo 64 library.

2. Banjo-Kazooie

Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch2

Banjo-Kazooie is playable through Nintendo Switch Online's Nintendo Classics catalog. The N64 3D platformer follows bear and bird through Gruntilda's mountain collecting puzzle pieces across nine worlds. GPA scores it high on Action and Collection — the combination that describes the collect-a-thon design that defined the late 1990s 3D platformer generation.

Pokémon Stadium 2 is playable through Nintendo Switch Online's Nintendo Classics catalog. The N64 title brings Gold and Silver's 251 Pokémon into 3D arenas and adds a minigame collection. GPA scores it high on Turn-Based and Co-op — the combination that reflects a competitive and party experience built around the Gold and Silver roster.

4. Super Mario 64

Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch2

Super Mario 64 is playable through Nintendo Switch Online's Nintendo Classics catalog. The N64 launch title invented the 3D platformer vocabulary used by nearly every subsequent game in the genre. GPA scores it high on Action and Open World — the combination that describes a game whose structural influence exceeds its own content.

5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch2

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is playable through Nintendo Switch Online's Nintendo Classics catalog. The N64 title established 3D action-adventure design conventions that remain standard. GPA scores it high on Puzzle and Emotional Story — the combination that captures a game remembered for its dungeon design and narrative weight as much as its historical importance.

LSD: Dream Emulator is available through emulation. The 1998 PlayStation title was built from ten years of dream diary entries, generating environments through a day counter system that produces different results over time. GPA scores it at the top for Existential Themes — the game predates the liminal space concept by twenty years while embodying it completely.