2009’s Best Retro Revivals: What’s Old Is New Again

2009 wasn’t just the year of big name releases; there was also a very obvious attempt to revive some of gaming’s longest running franchises. While that’s not necessarily a new idea, it seemed like in this past year developers actually attempted to keep the feeling of the original games instead of just taking the name of a franchise and slapping it on something completely new. Take a look at some of the classics that received some nostalgic love this year, and reminisce about the good old days as you cross your fingers that 2010 holds the same retro goodness.

Contra

Update: Contra ReBirth (WiiWare)
2007’s “Contra 4″ was a huge step in the right direction for the “Contra” franchise, which continued with Konami’s WiiWare update “Contra ReBirth.” While the title may have had a couple of problems (like not being able to shoot while running – what’s up with that?), and the fact that it was way too short, it’s still a sign that someone at Konami got the clue and this franchise should only continue on in two dimensions.

Excitebike

Update: Excitebike: World Rally (WiiWare)
It seemed like “Excitebike: World Rally” for WiiWare came out of nowhere this year. While the “series” had only true sequel in “Excitebike 64″ Nintendo has tried, with moderate success, to revive the franchise with “Excite Truck” and “Excitebots” but it seems that both of those fell a little short compared to the original. I guess people just really loved the original because it was so unique for the time, and it came with its own track editor. “World Rally” kept the same basic gameplay, features, and it even had the same overall look and feel, but added a much needed online option.

Bubble Bobble

Update: Bubble Bobble Neo (XBLA) Bubble Bobble Plus (WiiWare)
I know, there has been a new “Bubble Bobble” game released just about every year since the original hit store shelves way back in the early 80s. However, 2008 saw the return of the original, or at least an updated version of it on both XBLA and WiiWare. Many games have tried to replicate the same experience as the original, but these two games were the first ones to really do a good job of it, mostly because it was just the original with updated graphics. “Bubble Bobble” is just one of those games that you can go back and play over and over, and never have the same experience, and that’s why these two games work so well.

Arkanoid

Update: Arkanoid Live (XBLA) Arkanoid Plus (WiiWare)
There is something that will always be appealing about breaking blocks in “Arkanoid”; it’s just so basic that it’s helplessly addictive. Much like “Bubble Bobble,” “Arkanoid” has seen numerous releases and updates, particularly over the last few years, but these XBLA and WiiWare releases were the first time the Taito classic graced a console in quite some time. Updated graphics, downloadable content, and online multiplayer were just a few of the highlights that can be found in these packages.

Thexder

Update: Thexder NEO (PSP)
It’s understandable if this is the one retro game on this list that you may have never heard of, mostly because “Thexder” only saw a U.S. release on the PC. It was originally a Game Arts title that was ported to the Famicom by Square, but that port never made it to the NES, only a Sierra Online PC release made it out in the States. It was a huge loss for 1980s console gamers since “Thexder” is a great little arcade shooter. It’s taken 24 years for “Thexder NEO” to give PSP (and soon PS3) gamers an updated look at a classic game that has gone overlooked for far too long.

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• December 30, 2009 -- Top 10 Most Overlooked Games of 2009: The Hidden Gems
• December 31, 2008 -- Top 10 Overlooked Games of 2008
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• June 17, 2009 -- E3 ‘09: E3’s Top 10 Underdogs
• August 13, 2008 -- Mega Man 9’s Opening Cinematic