This was pretty much the first game everybody played. We loved playing as Mario or Luigi, his brother, as they ate mushrooms to grow bigger, ate flowers to acquire the ability to shoot fireballs and fought the villain, Bowser, to save the Princess Peach only to find out from Toad (the short guy with the mushroom hat) that the princess has been moved to another castle.
2. Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat was the combat game to end all combat games. It blew our minds when it was released thanks to its stylized violence and its insanely awesome finishing moves that, in the game and among fans, were referred to as Fatalities. Even cooler were the wide array of characters available for game play. Raiden: the god of thunder, Liu Kang: the Shaolin monk, Shang Tsung: the evil wizard who had the ability to absorb the souls of those he defeated and many more amazing characters.
3. Contra
Long before there was Call Of Duty, there was Contra. Who can forget this game that had guns with unlimited bullets? A run and gun action game on the Family Com console that had the double player feature meaning that two people could play and go on missions together. All the modern gun games that are popular today like Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell should all thank Contra for paving the way.
4. Mario Kart
A spin off of the Super Mario franchise, Mario Kart is a racing game starring all the major characters you know and love from the Super Mario Bros universe. The game play differed from every other racing game that came before it in the sense that characters could sabotage each other by leaving banana peels in their path or by throwing bombs at them. It was the ultimate racing game for a group of friends because up to 8 people could play at the same time.
5. Street Fighter
Another insane combat game. Everything about Street Fighter was epic. From each character having their own own individual stages in their respective countries of origin, to the moves (remember E-Honda’s hundred hand slap?). You could play alone where you played against computer-controlled opponents or you could play with someone else where you both fight each other.
Wait – there’s more! We basically made a bunch of photos that summarize your childhood here:
