Step back into the game worlds you remember

From the 1987 original through Street Fighter II’s many revisions, the Alpha branch and crossover fighters, follow the making of a competitive language that kept changing without losing its center.

Beginning as an SNK all-star tournament in 1994, KOF turned three-person teams into a structure for strategy, character relationships and long-running story arcs.

The arcade original, expanded home release, Super Contra, Contra III and Hard Corps each have a distinct place. Put the co-op, firepower and difficulty back into an accurate version history.

It tests reactions with relentless gunfire, then lets soldiers nap, tanks fall apart and heroes turn into mummies. Follow the handmade pixel craft from the original through 2, X, 3 and the handheld branches.

From two-dimensional running and jumping to Mario 64’s navigable space, then into racing, RPGs, parties and sports, Mario is less a single line than a shared language for learning new ways to play.

From the Belmont clan’s deliberate stage action to the connected castles that followed Symphony of the Night, Castlevania keeps renegotiating the balance between combat, exploration, growth and Gothic fantasy.

From the Erdrick trilogy and the life-spanning fifth game to Monsters and handheld remakes, follow the mainline, spin-off and edition history of a warm, unhurried adventure series.

Three 16-bit games bound neon streets, two-player teamwork, heavy hits and electronic club rhythms together. Play them in order and see why the Japanese and overseas third games feel so different.

From the first map of Hyrule to adventures shaped by time, seasons, sailing and touch controls, Zelda keeps finding new ways to invite players off the obvious path and let them discover the answer themselves.

Crystals, airships and a group of unlikely companions keep meeting again in different worlds. Final Fantasy rarely holds on to one battle system, yet it repeatedly returns to choices, partings and the courage to begin again.

From the first inhale on Game Boy to Copy Abilities, Animal Friends, mixed powers and playful spin-offs, Kirby stays welcoming at first touch while saving extra surprises for players who keep looking.