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00:09Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we're here to blend new and old by checking out 10 modern
00:14games that play and feel like classic 90s games, providing that sweet retro-inspired
00:19experience but with sleek modern conveniences. Mina the Hollower is a love letter to the
00:331990s handheld gaming era, bringing the magic of the Game Boy Color to life with charming pixel art,
00:39spooky environments, and classic action-adventure gameplay. Developed by Yacht Club Games, this
00:44modern adventure feels like a long-lost sibling of The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening and The
00:49Legend of Zelda Oracle of Ages slash Seasons, capturing that thrill of exploring mysterious
00:54worlds, battling quirky enemies, and uncovering oodles of hidden secrets. Beneath its nostalgic
00:59visuals lies a challenging fast-paced experience that blends old-school design with modern gameplay
01:05refinements. For anyone who grew up with a Game Boy in hand, Mina the Hollower is a delightful
01:10trip back to the golden age of handheld gaming.
01:20MacBat 64
01:28If you ever wanted to spend an afternoon inside a forgotten Nintendo 64 game, preferably as a tiny
01:34bat with a knack for adventure, MacBat 64 is ready to flap its way into your heart. This quirky low
01:40-poly
01:41platformer from indie developer Seachtro embraces everything that made late 90s gaming so darn
01:46memorable. From chunky 3D graphics, collectible-filled stages, and wonderfully oddball characters to meet
01:52along your short but sweet adventure. Its biggest inspirations are easy to spot, Banjo-Kazooie and Super
01:58Mario 64 spring to mind first, while kart racing detours and other unexpected minigames add a few playful
02:04surprises. It's a bite-sized blast from gaming's polygon-powered past that feels like someone dusted off
02:11a lost N64 cartridge and popped it straight into your modern PC or console.
02:24Hot Shot Racing
02:31Forget realistic driving physics and painstakingly detailed supercars. Hot Shot Racing is all about
02:37hitting the accelerator, throwing your car into a nice drift, and chasing that glorious first place
02:42finish across some super enticing environments. Its vibrant low-poly visuals, colorful tracks,
02:48toe-tapping music, and breakneck arcade action recreate the spirit of 1990s racers, particularly things like
02:55Daytona USA and Virtua Racing. With turbo boosts earned through drifting, multiple racing modes,
03:00and multiplayer competition, this modern throwback captures the pick-up-and-play excitement of the
03:06arcade without needing a pocket full of coins. Anyone remember nickel arcades? Nope, just me? Gosh, I'm old.
03:21TUNIC
03:29So, at first glance, TUNIC looks like a charming little adventure starring an adorable fox. I mean,
03:34which it is. But don't let that cute little face fool you. This game has secrets that would make a
03:391990s
03:40gaming magazine's hints and tips hotline work overtime, to say the least. Its colorful isometric
03:46world, sword and shield combat, hidden pathways, and mysterious dungeons call to mind classics like
03:51The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past, and even the OG NES The Legend of Zelda, recreating that
03:57wonderful feeling of exploring a world without knowing what lies around the next corner. Now, the real
04:02stroke of retro genius, however, is its collectible instruction manual. Scattered pages reveal maps, hints,
04:08encrypted clues, just like the booklets players poured over when bringing home a new cartridge. Ah,
04:14yes, those certainly were the days, right? Add demanding combat and some puzzles that reward
04:19genuine curiosity, and TUNIC becomes much more than just a nostalgic throwback. It's actually a modern
04:25adventure that recaptures the thrill of figuring things out all for yourself, without immediately
04:30reaching for a walkthrough. Get loads more retro gaming content over at our 24-7 MojoPlays livestream.
04:43Just scan that QR code on screen to check it out. Pumpkin Jack!
04:55So as a side note before I get into the entry, this is just my personal favorite one on this
04:59list. I
05:00love this game so much. So what happens when you give a pumpkin headed troublemaker a mission from
05:05the devil himself? Well, you get Pumpkin Jack, obviously. A gloriously ghoulish 3D platformer
05:10adventure that feels like it crawled straight out of a Halloween themed PlayStation classic.
05:14It's hauntingly enchanted locales, creepy creatures, cheeky humor, and cartoonish take on the
05:20supernatural make it an especially fitting companion to Medieval, with its skeletal hero Sir Daniel
05:25Fortescue and delightfully macabre adventures. Seriously, if you like Medieval, you'll definitely
05:29like Pumpkin Jack. You leap across perilous platforms, battle baddies with an assortment of
05:34unlockable weapons, and solve some puzzles, sometimes by actually popping Jack's head off and controlling
05:39it independently. Weird. Developed as a modern homage to the 3D platformers of the
05:44late 90s and early 2000s, Pumpkin Jack delivers the sort of spooky, mischievous fun that makes
05:50you wish your old PlayStation memory card still worked. This is one of my go-to games every
05:55Halloween season. Peak autumnal vibes.
06:06The Messenger
06:15The Messenger wastes no time at all throwing you into the sandals of a young ninja on a mission to
06:20save his clan, delivering fast paced swordplay, tricky platforming, and demon slaying action with
06:25serious 90s flair. Developed by Sabotage Studio, this pixel art adventure wears its influences proudly,
06:31particularly Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi, with razor sharp movement and challenging enemy encounters
06:36that feel ripped right from the 16-bit era. But here's the clever twist with this one. The game starts
06:41with an 8-bit aesthetic before evolving into a 16-bit adventure, complete with upgraded visuals,
06:47remix music, and time travel mechanics that transform its linear levels into a sprawling metroidvania.
06:53So, so cool. Throw in some witty character banter and a catchy chiptune soundtrack,
06:58and The Messenger proves that old school ninja action can still surprise you decades later.
07:11Crow Country
07:20An abandoned amusement park, a missing owner, and something monstrous lurking behind the cheerful
07:25mascots. Welcome to Crow Country, where the rides have stopped running, but the nightmares are just
07:31getting started. Good times. This survival horror adventure casts you as investigator Mara Forrest,
07:36exploring a deserted theme park filled with grotesque creatures, cryptic clues, locked doors,
07:41and puzzles that make every shadow seem suspicious. Its chunky polygonal characters and eerie
07:46atmospheric environments are a delicious throwback to Resident Evil and Silent Hill,
07:50two PlayStation classics that obviously helped define 90s horror gaming. Thankfully, Crow Country
07:56isn't content to just simply haunt the past. Modernized controls and an optional exploration
08:00mode let players choose between nerve-wracking monster encounters and a more relaxed, somewhat mystery-focused
08:06experience. Just remember, in a place like this, the scariest thing might be discovering what's
08:11hidden behind the staff-only door. You've been warned.
08:22Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder's Revenge
08:32Cowabunga indeed! TMNT Shredder's Revenge is a full-throttle, pizza-fueled beat-em-up that brings back the glory
08:38days of 90s arcade brawling, complete with gorgeous pixel art, outrageous combos, and enough Foot Clan
08:44goons to keep four sewer-dwelling brothers busy all day and all night. A spiritual successor of sorts to
08:50TMNT Turtles in Time, it recreates that classic side-scrolling mayhem, while adding smoother combat,
08:56unique abilities for each fighter, and the option to team up with up to six players for absolute arcade
09:01chaos. From battling Bebop and Rocksteady through familiar New York locations, to taking the fight into
09:07Dimension X. Every single stage feels like a lost episode of the classic cartoon, brought gloriously
09:13to life here. Whether you're a Leonardo loyalist or a Raphael-style button masher, this is a retro
09:18turtle power with a modern edge.
09:29Shovel Knight Treasure Trove
09:38Few modern games capture the magic of the NES era quite like Shovel Knight Treasure Trove, Yacht Club
09:44Games' lovingly crafted collection of 8-bit inspired platforming adventures. With crisp pixel art,
09:50chiptune music, challenging boss fights, hidden treasures, and a shovel-wielding hero, amongst others,
09:55it feels like a lost cartridge that could have sat nicely alongside DuckTales and Mega Man on a 90s
10:00gaming shelf. Now the real treasure here is the sheer amount of content in the treasure trove package.
10:06The collection actually includes five games, Shovel of Hope, Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment,
10:10King of Cards, and Shovel Knight Showdown, a multiplayer-focused fighting game. The four
10:15adventure campaigns each offer distinct characters, solid platforming, oodles of secrets, and stellar
10:20gameplay mechanics, while Showdown adds competitive fun for up to four local players. It's a nostalgic
10:26blast from the past that delivers far more than just a simple retro throwback.
10:39Sea of Stars
10:48With its dazzling pixel art, sweeping soundtrack, and fantastical world, Sea of Stars feels like the kind
10:5416-bit RPG you might have discovered tucked inside a dusty SNES cartridge collection.
11:00The enchanting adventure follows Solstice Warriors, Valer, and Zael as they harness the powers of the
11:05sun and moon to battle a sinister alchemist, blending classic turn-based combat with timed attacks,
11:11flashy team combos and ultimates, and puzzles woven into exploration.
11:15Now, fans of Chrono Trigger will instantly recognize its seamless battles and grand sense of adventure,
11:20while Super Mario RPG shines through in the satisfying button-time combat. Better yet,
11:25modern touches like free-roaming traversal, no random encounters, and minimal grinding keep
11:30the journey moving without losing that unmistakable 90s RPG magic. Don't miss out on this incredible gem.
11:44So, what did you think of our picks for this list? What modern games give you that classic 90s feel?
11:50Be sure to let us know in the comments.