Let’s turn back time and go back to 1998 for a second. So many great games came out that year which rapidly became classic fan-favourites, all of which turned the big 25 in 2023.
To give them the worthy birthday shout out that they deserve, we’re taking a closer look at a selection of our childhood faves that turned 25 in 2023.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the very first 3D Zelda game. Made exclusively for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, players were reunited with Link as he fought to defeat the King of Evil. Utilise the trusty Ocarina to rewind time, remove the Master Sword, and of course defeat hordes of monsters and bosses to seal Gandondorf in Hell.
Still going strong in 2023, the game has upheld a 9.7 rating on IGN. Its blend of story-rich gameplay, detailed characters, 3D graphics, and time-travel all earned its title as a fan-favourite game. The game was remastered for the Nintendo 3DS with the same classic story, characters, and 3D visuals.
Half Life
Taking place in the Black Mesa Research Facility, Half Life sees players take control of physicist, Gordan Freeman. A failed experiment has suddenly resulted in a portal to another world opening smack dab in the middle of this facility. It’s up to you to save humanity once and for all by defeating hordes of aliens and government forces.
Half Life was a new generation of FPS in 1998. It moved away from the player being at the centre of the gameplay. Instead, the focus is on a plot that is far bigger than you, it’s all about survival against aliens and corrupt government forces. The rich gameplay, in-depth story, and use of scripted scenes all make Half Life a beloved game to this day. It’s even earned itself a sequel in 2004.
Fun fact of the day, if we didn’t have Half Life, we wouldn’t have Counter Strike. Did you know CS started out as a mod for Half Life? You can read more about the history of Counter Strike and its origins in our dedicated games post.
Baldur’s Gate
The first game in the iconic D&D video game series, Baldur’s Gate is set within the Forgotten Realms at the ancient fortress of Candlekeep. Before you set off on your journey along the Sword Coast, you must choose from six different races, including elf, human, and dwarf, to create your character. Venture across the lands with your chosen companions as you uncover the secrets of a dark conspiracy along with your own history.
The game utilises a modified version of the advanced D&D 2nd Edition rules along with turn-based combat. What made Baldur’s Gate a stern classic RPG in 1998 is that the decisions layers based on their moral choices. You can follow the development of your character step by step as you play through the dialogue and battle scenes for even greater immersion. The blend of interactive storytelling and in-depth narrative has become something of a staple in every Baldur’s Gate game since.
Hop in your Delorean for a second and travel back to 2023 as Baldur’s Gate 3 has just released! This incredible D&D RPG features all the same classic gameplay elements fans loved back in 1998, but with a brand-new rich story and modern-day visuals. We covered everything you need to know in our blog article.
Resident Evil 2
Taking place mere months after the events of the first game, Resident Evil 2 sends Kennedy and Redfield straight back to the deadly centre of Racoon City. The town is once again overrun by the same blood-thirsty zombies, desperate for a taste of some juicy brains. Your only hope for survival and escape is to explore the city, solve complex puzzles, and of course kill plenty of zombies.
What sets Resident Evil 2 apart from the original title is the two separate story campaigns for Kennedy and Redfield. You can play as both characters and experience the gruesome story from two different perspectives. This earned the game its place in the fan-favourite list along with a modern-day remake back in 2019. The Resident Evil 2 remake upholds the same classic story, but with reimagined graphics allowing you to take advantage of features such as ray tracing and AI DLSS.
Resident Evil is an iconic gaming franchise with a long history. You can read all about the history of Resident Evil in our dedicated blog post.
Spyro the Dragon
The first game in the series, Spyro the Dragon stars the titular purple protagonist tasked with saving the elder dragons, defeating hordes of enemies, collecting precious gems or stolen dragon eggs, and taking down Gnasty Gnorc. Taking place in the Dragon Realms and featuring six different homeworlds, Spyro can seamlessly travel between these worlds via portals to complete quests set by the balloonists.
Originally launched on the PlayStation 1, Spyro the Dragon is considered to be one of the first great 3D-platformers for the console. The controls were easy to pick up and understand. Plus, the memorable soundtrack served as the perfect backdrop for your adventures through the Dragon Realm.
All of which resulted in Spyro earning its title as a well-known popular platforming mascot, amongst the likes of Crash Bandicoot (raise your hand if you played their incredible crossover in The Cortex Conspiracy… Me too, it was my childhood fave!), resulting in several other games in the series. The Spyro the Dragon games were later remade in 2018 into a trilogy for both PC and console, utilising enhanced modern-day controls and visuals.
Games That Changed the Landscape
These incredible childhood faves have certainly left a lasting mark on both players and the gaming landscape. In fact, there are plenty of other fan-favourite titles that have paved the way for change in the gaming industry. We took a closer look at some games that helped alter the landscape.
Want to Play These Childhood Faves?
Have you got the itch to play one of these childhood faves or perhaps its modern day remake? You’ll need a high-quality gaming PC to match, and thankfully we’ve got plenty.
Our Refract Gaming Jade Pre-Built PC comes equipped with everything you need to experience these games all over again. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU, this pre-built PC delivers ultra-fast processing speeds in both single- and multi-threaded tasks alike. The combination of 32GB DDR5 RAM and a 1TB M.2 SSD ensures no slow in-game loading times or input lag interrupting your immersion. What’s more, harness the NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti, crafted with Ada Lovelace architecture and featuring support for Ray Tracing, to unlock photo-realistic visuals in all your favourite games.
In addition to all of this, the Refract Gaming Jade includes a three-year warranty which also covers parts and labour. Perfect for any unexpected repairs or much-needed upgrades.
Refract Gaming Jade Pre-Built PC
- Pre built gaming PC
- Designed for mid-tier gaming
- Includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti
- Up to 32GB DDR5 RAM
- 1TB M.2 SSD
If the Refract Gaming Jade doesn’t suit your individual preferences or in-game demands, then why not take a look at the rest of the systems in our Refract series? You can do just that by clicking the button below.
Feel Old Yet?
Is one of these your childhood favourite? Be sure to let us know what game you loved the most when you were young.
*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 7 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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games cartridges/ floppy discs for an amstrad old. im sure some of the staff might remember the commodore 64?