Remasters and remakes are always welcome, especially when they bring great games back from the past. The two Tomb Raider trilogies are excellent examples, as is the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver collection, or what Atlus/SEGA called a remaster but feels like much more with RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army (whose original title, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner – Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army, will always remain legendary, thank you Makson Lima, who first introduced me to it).
But this article isn’t about remakes or remasters. Instead, I want to talk about modern games that recreate the feeling of playing a classic game for the first time. Not just retro graphics or nostalgia for its own sake, but games that truly capture the spirit of the past while still feeling modern. If you grew up playing games like The Revenge of Shinobi, Ninja Gaiden, or the classic TMNT arcade game, you’ll probably recognize that feeling immediately.
Here are some modern games that feel like classic games:
RoboCop: Rogue City and RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business
Developer | Publisher: Teyon | Nacon
Location: Kraków, Poland | Lesquin, France
Style: FPS
Release: November 2023 / July 2025
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox Series, PlayStation 5
I’ll start with the games that actually inspired this article. RoboCop: Rogue City (2023) and its sequel Unfinished Business (2025) perfectly capture the feeling of a lost 1990s FPS, but with modern production values.
Developed by the Polish studio Teyon and published by Nacon, the game manages to feel like something straight out of the era when licensed games could still surprise us. The story takes place between the second and third RoboCop films and even features the voice of the original actor, Peter Weller.
With a strong narrative, faithful atmosphere, and music inspired by the films, these games feel almost like a missing RoboCop sequel from the early 90s. In many ways, they are the most respectful adaptations the franchise has received since the first two movies.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Developer | Publisher: Tribute Games | Dotemu
Location: Montréal, Canada | Paris, France
Style: Beat ’em up
Release: June 2022
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
In 1989, Konami released one of the most iconic arcade beat ’em ups ever made: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It arrived at the perfect moment, shortly after the 1987 animated series had exploded in popularity. Two years later came Turtles in Time, another classic that defined the genre.
So when TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge arrived in 2022, it felt almost like the third arcade game we never received back then. The game perfectly recreates the style of the original arcade titles while expanding it for modern players. Up to six people can play simultaneously, and the roster includes the four turtles, April O’Neil, Master Splinter, Casey Jones, and additional characters through DLC. Combined with beautiful pixel art and fast gameplay, the result is a perfect tribute to classic arcade beat ’em ups.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Developer | Publisher: Tribute Games | Dotemu
Location: Montréal, Canada | Paris, France
Style: Beat ’em up
Release: December 2025
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
The first time I played Marvel Cosmic Invasion, I immediately felt like I had discovered another lost arcade game from the early 1990s. Many elements reminded me of classics like X-Men (1992) by Konami and Captain America and the Avengers (1991) by Data East.
With a roster of 15 heroes, including Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, and less obvious choices like Beta-Ray Bill or Cosmic Ghost Rider, the game offers a fantastic variety of characters and playstyles. With up to four players, beautiful pixel art, and colorful stages, Cosmic Invasion feels completely timeless.
Streets of Rage 4
Developer | Publisher: Guard Crush Games, LizardCube | Dotemu
Location: Montréal, Canada / Paris, France | Paris, France
Style: Beat ’em up
Release: April 2020
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
More than 25 years after the last game in the trilogy, Streets of Rage 4 finally arrived, and it did not disappoint. Instead of replicating the original pixel art style, the developers chose a hand-drawn visual approach with stunning animation. Axel, Blaze, Adam and the rest of the cast return ten years after the events of the third game, and it can be played by up to 4 players.
Playing it for the first time, especially while listening to music from Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima, instantly brought back emotional memories of the original trilogy. For fans of the series, the nostalgia factor here is extremely powerful.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
Developer | Publisher: LizardCube | SEGA
Location: Paris, France | Japan
Style: Hack n’ Slash / Metroidvania
Release: August 2025
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
After fifteen years of silence, SEGA’s classic ninja series finally returned. Shinobi originally began in arcades in 1987 and later expanded to the Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, Saturn, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo 3DS. Some games, especially the later ones, were heavily criticized.
Art of Vengeance brings the franchise back with beautiful hand-drawn visuals and a structure inspired by Metroidvania exploration. Joe Musashi’s return feels like a true revival of the series.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Developer | Publisher: The Game Kitchen | Dotemu
Location: Seville, Spain | Paris, France
Style: Hack n’ Slash
Release: July 2025
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
The Ninja Gaiden series dates back to 1988 and quickly became famous for its difficulty and fast combat. While the franchise later moved into stylish 3D action games after a hiatus of over 10 years, many fans always missed the original 2D experience.
Ragebound brings that feeling back. Built entirely with pixel art and fluid animation, the game feels like a natural continuation of the original trilogy. Instead of Ryu Hayabusa, players control Kenji Mozu, later joined by Kumori from the Black Spider Clan in an unconventional way. The result is one of the best modern tributes to the classic Ninja Gaiden formula, something I only experienced when playing The Messenger (2018) by Sabotage and Devolver Digital.
Terminator 2D: NO FATE
Developer | Publisher: Bitmap Bureau | Reef Entertainment
Location: United Kingdom | United Kingdom
Style: Action Platformer
Release: July 2025
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
The Terminator franchise has produced many games over the years, from side-scrolling action games to shoot ’em ups, FPS, rail shooters, and so on.
However, looking back at the 8-bit and 16-bit generations, especially on SEGA and Nintendo consoles, we can see how the series experimented with many different styles. Nintendo consoles weren’t so lucky with their exclusive games, as SEGA, but it’s worth mentioning two titles released for Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega CD/Mega CD (yes, two because believe it or not, they are completely different). Both were published by Virgin Games. The Mega Drive/Genesis version has only 4 stages and was programmed by my friend David Perry, whose resume includes games like Aladdin (MD/Gen version), Cool Spot, and Earthworm Jim. The Sega CD/Mega CD version has 10 stages, with more dynamic gameplay, FMV cutscenes, beautiful graphics, and an incredible soundtrack largely composed by Tommy Tallarico.
Terminator 2D: NO FATE takes inspiration from those earlier attempts and elevates them with modern hardware. The game recreates key moments from the second film using detailed pixel art, impressive animations, and intense action sequences. For fans of the classic movie and retro action games, it feels like discovering a forgotten 16-bit masterpiece.
Final Thoughts
I probably forgot a few games that could easily be included here, but these titles represent a great example of how modern developers can capture the magic of classic games. What they share is something simple but powerful: they recreate the feeling of discovering a game that becomes memorable for the first time.
It’s the same feeling many of us had when playing titles like The Revenge of Shinobi, Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, or the original TMNT arcade game. And this list will probably keep growing. Without thinking too much, I suspect the upcoming He-Man game planned for 2026 will evoke that same nostalgia.
If you remember another game that fits this idea, let me know! And last week, I wrote a really cool article about 5 games that can help with mental health that you might be interested in, and a while back I wrote about 5 games with an unforgettable visual concept. I hope you like it!
