10 Classic Video Games That Play Horribly Today

Some video games are timeless. Whether you're playing them in 1985, or 2085 (when the option to have retro titles downloaded directly to your brain will probably be available), the level of enjoyment tends to stay exactly the same.

The original Super Mario Bros is a solid example. Still a joy, the influential NES smash laid down the perfect formula for a side-scrolling platformer, and the key ingredients which underpin it haven't changed to this day. Although graphics and interfaces have moved on a great deal, developers in this category still attempt to emulate Mario Bros' tight controls, smooth learning curve and infectious quirkiness, often without success.

Some genres, however, have taken great strides during the evolution of home consoles, and some early attempts to create more sophisticated games hold up horribly in 2018, despite being hailed as trailblazers back in their day.

Older titles can be forgiven for looking ugly alongside shiny new PlayStation 4 and Xbox One fodder, but it's incredible how many beloved titles from your childhood are nowhere near as much fun as you remember...

Rightly hailed as a classic, Metroid proved that Nintendo platformers didn't have to be about cutesy visuals and princesses in peril. Head-scratching puzzles added substance, and it also gave the world a kickass female protagonist in Samus Aran, long before Tomb Raider made them trendy.

But Metroid is a game that belongs back in the NES era, because tackling it today is about as much fun as extracting a tooth, minus anaesthetic.

The difficulty curve was artificially inflated because Nintendo didn't have the decency to fill your health bar to full, the levels are frustratingly maze-like and controls feel archaic. Forcing players to stand still to aim a shot just wasn't right.

Metroid at least brought fresh ideas, pitting players against a vast sci-fi world hiding untold secrets, but its layout was too repetitive and confusing to inspire exploration. Couple this with an imperfect interface and frustrating combat, and Samus's debut just doesn't hold up.

Metroid showed how forward-thinking Nintendo could be back in 1986, but as a formula, the Big N would only perfect it with Super Metroid on the SNES.