The game deserves a second chance, and today's technology is better prepared for what it had to offer, too.
Gradius found balance on the Playstation, even if North America didn't find out for years.
A wonderful arcade game that somehow didn't end up with a home conversion for roughly three decades.
Known as Battle Mania in Japan, this shooter is short, sweet, and loaded with personality. It's also never been re-released, and wildly expensive.
Not the second Gradius, or even the first second Gradius, but the Gradius that tied everything together and set the stage for the series' future.
Bomberman didn't start in the arcade, but the series made its way there more than a couple of times over the years.
The studio itself has been shut down for 20 years now, but that doesn't mean its former developers stopped working.
A stepping stone for early shoot 'em ups in between Galaxian and Galaga, but with plenty to offer in its own right.
Even more DSiWare titles to grab on the 3DS, while you still can.
Treasure's first game remains an all-timer nearly three decades later.
Video Game of the Year: A Year-By-Year Guide to the Best, Boldest, and Most Bizarre Games from Every Year Since 1977 is available now, and I spoke with the author about how it came to be.
Raiden went back to genre basics, but in an extraordinary way.
