I wanna get into 2d games a bit more. Mainly things like RPGs or metroidvanias (or just single palywr games in general) For devices I can emulate older systems and I also have a switch. Any recommendations?
CrossCode! A modern topdown action RPG with gorgeous pixel art, great music and Zelda-like puzzles in dungeons. The full version is available for PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch and there is a demo that you can play in your browser.
Disclaimer: I’m friends with some of the devs but I would still recommend it if I wasn’t.
This game is my favourite of all time. The characters in this game are incredible, along with each of the gameplay components. Cannot recommend checking the game out more.
Axiom Verge 1 is a great metroidvania. I also tried 2, but it didn’t click with me at all. Cave Story is great as well. Dead Cells, but that’s more of a rogue lite game. Binding of Isaac is also one of my favorites, but it’s a top down rogue like.
First game has been mentioned already, but I wanna make sure it’s clear how singular the game is.
Blasphemous. In case you didn’t check it out: You should. It got multiple major updates (new areas, bosses etc.) that were completely free and sometimes you can grab it on sale for as low as 6€. It even has NG+ only content for replayability that’s actually worth it (trust me, it really is). The movement in this game is beautifully smooth and the pixel art is consistent. More importantly the combat is actually excellent unlike many other metroidvanias (as well as souls-likes) that unfortunately fail here imho. The platforming is unique, but relatively easy to learn (but you need to try), although the game has specific areas where it becomes more or less important. Blasphemous 2 also exists, however I haven’t played it yet. It isn’t as hard as Dark Souls titles or so, but it’s a souls-like that won’t go easy on you at some points. OST by Carlos Viola is also nice for people who like themselves some flamenco style.
If jRPGs count: Chained Echoes. I will never shut up about this game, since it has gotten a lot of attention, however not NEARLY enough… no one seems to really care about it anymore, but it’s one of the best games I have ever played and I feel sad how it has been overshadowed by games with better marketing/higher budgets that weren’t comparable in terms of gameplay or charme at all!
It has everything: Awesome gameplay with many QoL features to adapt to the game or adapt the game to you, cute and profound character designs/artwork, a storyline and an AWESOME OST! Honestly, the music is beautiful in this game… the game has been made by one guy only, however you won’t notice that (except with occasional silly bugs). The music has been made by someone else though (Eddie Marianukroh) and with the help of some awesome musicians (like Gregory Orosz aka. Gamer of the Winds). I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try!
Bahamut Lagoon is a cool JRPG for the SNES that sadly never was released for the west. You can get your hands on the ROM and some fan translation though. I’ve played it many years ago, so my memory’s a bit iffy, but I do remember having a good time.
Front Mission is another good JRPG entry from the 90’s. I loved the SNES version, but apparently the DS version boasts extra features and content, making it the superior choice.
The Messenger (a ninja Gaiden style Metroidvania) and Sea of Stars (a Chrono Trigger style RPG)
Blasphemous 1 and 2 are some really fucking amazing Metroidvania games with some incredible pixel art.
Hollow Knight is another gorgeous game that, to me, is the closest thing to Super Metroid in modern genre.
Axiom Verge 1 and 2 are love letters to Metroid actually…
Octopath Traveler is a nice jrpg style game with great visuals that mix pixel art with modern graphics.
Cuphead is a great platform run n gun.
Blazing Chrome is a love letter to Contra.
Huntdown is a fucking awesome platform shoot em up with amazing pixel art set in a cyber punk dystopia reminiscent of old 80s-90s action movies.
And the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge is a great arcade style beat em up that really captures the old TMNT 4 vibes.
Mother Russia Bleeds is another great beat em up with a great story and ambiance.
The Undertale series is a great RPG series that’s worth a playthrough for real. It’s so much fun and the story and characters are so well written.
Broforce for complete pandemonium, especially with friends. It’s like The Expendables, the game. Except you can destroy everything on the screen.
Towerfall is a great multiplayer challenge game well worth it.
Gato Roboto is a fun game worth playing. So is Under Dungeon. Or Dogurai and Squidlit If you reach to play a more Gameboy style experience.
Flashback, a cyberpunk Prince of Persia style game. It’s an oldie but a goodie.
Crypt of the Necrodancer is a great dungeon crawler where you have to follow the beat of the music. It’s an amazing game. They even made a Legend of Zelda game based on it. Called Cadence of Hyrule.
I mean there are so many more but those are in my top on the switch.
It’s been a while since I gave it a shot myself. I haven’t fiddled with “The Great Old Ones” on Linux since back in the late 90’s. So you’re likely more of a proper authority on the matter than I.
I liked Metroid Dread a lot. I feel like it’s a good starting point for Metroidvanias too because the game does a good job nudging you in the right direction e.g. by closing off certain areas but still letting you explore and figure out where to go. I especially enjoyed the movement, it feels very fluid and satisfying.
The only major issue I had with the game was that performance is really bad in a few encounters. Most of the time it runs fine though. It’s also not super long. I prefer a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome, but if you’re looking for something that is good value for money in terms of playtime there might be better options.
Maybe a dumb suggestion, but since you mentioned older systems, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a PS1 classic that helped create the Metroidvania genre. There’s also Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, which is a spiritual successor by one the key developers behind SOTN. Dead Cells and Hollow Knight are solid games that have been recommended already, but if you find yourself enjoying the rogue-lite elements of those you might enjoy Cult of the Lamb. Admittedly it’s top down 2.5d, but it’s a nice blend of rogue lite and town management as your tasked with building up a cult and turning it into a thriving community in between fighting your way through dungeons.
Signalis is a 2.5d top down 3rd person single player survival horror title available for switch, it is probably one of the best modern examples of the genera taking clear inspiration from older titles like silent hill and resident evil 2. It’s very story based and currently on sale for the switch, I would highly recommend it.
It is a new game, but it very much has an old school vibe and is clearly leaning strongly on what made older titles great.
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CrossCode! A modern topdown action RPG with gorgeous pixel art, great music and Zelda-like puzzles in dungeons. The full version is available for PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch and there is a demo that you can play in your browser.
Disclaimer: I’m friends with some of the devs but I would still recommend it if I wasn’t.
This game is my favourite of all time. The characters in this game are incredible, along with each of the gameplay components. Cannot recommend checking the game out more.
Axiom Verge 1 is a great metroidvania. I also tried 2, but it didn’t click with me at all. Cave Story is great as well. Dead Cells, but that’s more of a rogue lite game. Binding of Isaac is also one of my favorites, but it’s a top down rogue like.
Hollow Knight and blasphemous are a couple of great metroidvanias and also a pretty good challenge.
First game has been mentioned already, but I wanna make sure it’s clear how singular the game is.
Blasphemous. In case you didn’t check it out: You should. It got multiple major updates (new areas, bosses etc.) that were completely free and sometimes you can grab it on sale for as low as 6€. It even has NG+ only content for replayability that’s actually worth it (trust me, it really is). The movement in this game is beautifully smooth and the pixel art is consistent. More importantly the combat is actually excellent unlike many other metroidvanias (as well as souls-likes) that unfortunately fail here imho. The platforming is unique, but relatively easy to learn (but you need to try), although the game has specific areas where it becomes more or less important. Blasphemous 2 also exists, however I haven’t played it yet. It isn’t as hard as Dark Souls titles or so, but it’s a souls-like that won’t go easy on you at some points. OST by Carlos Viola is also nice for people who like themselves some flamenco style.
If jRPGs count: Chained Echoes. I will never shut up about this game, since it has gotten a lot of attention, however not NEARLY enough… no one seems to really care about it anymore, but it’s one of the best games I have ever played and I feel sad how it has been overshadowed by games with better marketing/higher budgets that weren’t comparable in terms of gameplay or charme at all! It has everything: Awesome gameplay with many QoL features to adapt to the game or adapt the game to you, cute and profound character designs/artwork, a storyline and an AWESOME OST! Honestly, the music is beautiful in this game… the game has been made by one guy only, however you won’t notice that (except with occasional silly bugs). The music has been made by someone else though (Eddie Marianukroh) and with the help of some awesome musicians (like Gregory Orosz aka. Gamer of the Winds). I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try!
I have been playing the absolute shit out of StarSector. It’s part OG space trader, part 4X, with a great battle system and a vibrant moding scene. It’s affordable, and will run on just about anything.
Bahamut Lagoon is a cool JRPG for the SNES that sadly never was released for the west. You can get your hands on the ROM and some fan translation though. I’ve played it many years ago, so my memory’s a bit iffy, but I do remember having a good time.
Front Mission is another good JRPG entry from the 90’s. I loved the SNES version, but apparently the DS version boasts extra features and content, making it the superior choice.
If you want an indie game dev suggestion, Ojosama makes a tonne of great games on Itch.
https://ojosama.itch.io/
Thank you but I’m more looking for native stuff
The Messenger (a ninja Gaiden style Metroidvania) and Sea of Stars (a Chrono Trigger style RPG)
Blasphemous 1 and 2 are some really fucking amazing Metroidvania games with some incredible pixel art.
Hollow Knight is another gorgeous game that, to me, is the closest thing to Super Metroid in modern genre.
Axiom Verge 1 and 2 are love letters to Metroid actually…
Octopath Traveler is a nice jrpg style game with great visuals that mix pixel art with modern graphics.
Cuphead is a great platform run n gun.
Blazing Chrome is a love letter to Contra.
Huntdown is a fucking awesome platform shoot em up with amazing pixel art set in a cyber punk dystopia reminiscent of old 80s-90s action movies.
And the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge is a great arcade style beat em up that really captures the old TMNT 4 vibes.
Mother Russia Bleeds is another great beat em up with a great story and ambiance.
The Undertale series is a great RPG series that’s worth a playthrough for real. It’s so much fun and the story and characters are so well written.
Broforce for complete pandemonium, especially with friends. It’s like The Expendables, the game. Except you can destroy everything on the screen.
Towerfall is a great multiplayer challenge game well worth it.
Gato Roboto is a fun game worth playing. So is Under Dungeon. Or Dogurai and Squidlit If you reach to play a more Gameboy style experience.
Flashback, a cyberpunk Prince of Persia style game. It’s an oldie but a goodie.
Crypt of the Necrodancer is a great dungeon crawler where you have to follow the beat of the music. It’s an amazing game. They even made a Legend of Zelda game based on it. Called Cadence of Hyrule.
I mean there are so many more but those are in my top on the switch.
I’ll see what my machine can run. This is the same machine that shat itself trying to run Kirby star allies
Oh those are all on the switch for the most part. Except for Flashback, they’re all fairly recent games.
Think you meant to reply to the original post and not my reply.
I did. I woke up at 4:30 am due to some indigestion problems and couldn’t fall back asleep when I wrote this so I wasn’t seeing very clearly.
Obligatory short list of great old school RPGs:
Fallout 1 & 2
Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2
Icewind Dale
Planescape Torment
(I think Neverwinter Nights belongs on the list as well, but I can’t attest to it as I’ve never played it.)
You can pick up most of them from GOG.COM for cheap.
There should be enough to keep you occupied for a while.
What systems they run on?
Just Windows PC. There’s a few of them that people have tried to get to run on Linux over the ages, but success rates varies.
Well no can do :c
Mainly looking for stuff for an android gmainb machine
Mainly oldish console stuff
That’s too bad. They’re really good games. But good Luck with the search.
Fallout 1 and 2 should definitely run on Linux even with some patches
BG1&2 I heard some success stories but haven’t tried myself
@jinwk00 @Faydaikin pretty sure I played both, Fallout 1+2, on Linux before too.
The more recent ones run too, of course. This is from my Lutris Launcher listing ~272h of playtime on this installation - last played tonight 😁
It’s been a while since I gave it a shot myself. I haven’t fiddled with “The Great Old Ones” on Linux since back in the late 90’s. So you’re likely more of a proper authority on the matter than I.
I liked Metroid Dread a lot. I feel like it’s a good starting point for Metroidvanias too because the game does a good job nudging you in the right direction e.g. by closing off certain areas but still letting you explore and figure out where to go. I especially enjoyed the movement, it feels very fluid and satisfying.
The only major issue I had with the game was that performance is really bad in a few encounters. Most of the time it runs fine though. It’s also not super long. I prefer a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome, but if you’re looking for something that is good value for money in terms of playtime there might be better options.
Yea, I should play my copy of it
Maybe a dumb suggestion, but since you mentioned older systems, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a PS1 classic that helped create the Metroidvania genre. There’s also Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, which is a spiritual successor by one the key developers behind SOTN. Dead Cells and Hollow Knight are solid games that have been recommended already, but if you find yourself enjoying the rogue-lite elements of those you might enjoy Cult of the Lamb. Admittedly it’s top down 2.5d, but it’s a nice blend of rogue lite and town management as your tasked with building up a cult and turning it into a thriving community in between fighting your way through dungeons.
Yea, j should try castlevania, maybe metroid too
What paltrorms is lamb on?
Signalis is a 2.5d top down 3rd person single player survival horror title available for switch, it is probably one of the best modern examples of the genera taking clear inspiration from older titles like silent hill and resident evil 2. It’s very story based and currently on sale for the switch, I would highly recommend it.
It is a new game, but it very much has an old school vibe and is clearly leaning strongly on what made older titles great.
Hollow Knight
/edit: SteamWorld Dig 1 & 2 are also very good metroidvanias.
Not a Metroidvania game but I had fun playing ASTLIBRA Revision last year.
Ghost 1.0 It’s an indie game much in the style of older games, and it’s made with love
If you like Pokemon, check out cassette beasts. Or one of hundreds of Pokemon mods.