Top 10 Amiga games our kids need to play

[Mr Creosote]

I've been playing Gobliins 2 with my 6-year-old daughter. She likes it, the cartoony style, the slapstick, how weird things happen whereever you click. I thought the first one was too difficult (with life energy and everything) and the third one is probably too open. The single screen nature of the second, along with the harmless world, seemed appropriate.

Plus, she loves watching me play Stunt Car Racer, but it's too hard for her.

[gimbal]

G2 starts out friendlier (I solved the first level in my young years), but later on it becomes the most difficult of the three I think. It relies a LOT on timing with the two characters and commuting back and forth between screens and it is really unclear what you even need to do. Both G1 and G3 are a little better at telegraphing what you need to look into.

I got the games on GOG and they replaced the Goblin banter with actual voice acting... blasphemy.

[Adropac2]

I think most games other than some of the deeper strategy games can be recommended but a combination of the most defining and fun games would likely be a good list

I'd include these personal faves just because they're fun and easy enough to get into

Stunt Car
No Second Prize
Turrican 2
Speedball 2
Lotus 1
Crazy Cars III
Populous
Gee Bee Air Rally
Sentinel

bags more of course

[Mr Creosote]

Originally Posted by gimbal

G2 starts out friendlier (I solved the first level in my young years), but later on it becomes the most difficult of the three I think. It relies a LOT on timing with the two characters and commuting back and forth between screens and it is really unclear what you even need to do. Both G1 and G3 are a little better at telegraphing what you need to look into.

I got the games on GOG and they replaced the Goblin banter with actual voice acting... blasphemy.

We're about three quarters through, there is hardly ever any back and forth between screens. About half of the sections are single screen, the rest two or three at most at a time. You are spot on about the timing, however. Way too many of the puzzles rely on much too restrictive timing. This is usually where after some successful attempts, I offer to take the mouse.

[Cris1997XX]

Originally Posted by rsn8887

I feel like there's no true value these old games offer to kids of today. Modern indie games, for example Shovel Knight, Dead Cells, Binding of Isaac or Super Meat Boy, do much better for current kids. And think about Fortnite where kids can even attend concerts of their favorite bands and play together online. Or Roblox, where they can make their own mini-games inside the game.

Of course, for us Amiga fans, the old games are great games. But games have evolved. There's no need to waste childrens' time making them play the old ones unless they are really into it or something.

It reminds me of my dad who always wants me to watch black and white movies from the 50s. No thanks. Or when he was trying to make us listen to Phil Collins, Sting, or the Beatles when we were kids. Yawn.

For example, remember always clicking "What is..." and "Go To" in old Lucasfilm adventures just to figure out the interactive areas of the screen? Why make a kid suffer through that?

I am playing devil's advocate a bit, because I personally love Amiga games a lot.

Hey, I've discovered Amiga games just a couple of years ago but I don't think they're bad. Far from that, in fact. I'm still a teenager and I've learned to appreciate older titles. What's even more shocking...I did it all on my own! My father didn't even bother (Mostly because he doesn't give a crap about videogames anymore and he has little to no time to relax)

[gimbal]

If a younger generation can grow an interest in old paintings, movies and music, then why not vintage video games eh Any particular favorite?

[jotd]

teenager interested in amiga games in 2023? that's great! I can only recommend you: all Bitmap Brothers games.

My kids used to love playing Superfrog, Rodland, Silkworm, BC Kid.

Now they prefer minecraft and mobile games... sad. But they still love retro-stuff.

[Cris1997XX]

Originally Posted by jotd

teenager interested in amiga games in 2023? that's great! I can only recommend you: all Bitmap Brothers games.

My kids used to love playing Superfrog, Rodland, Silkworm, BC Kid.

Now they prefer minecraft and mobile games... sad. But they still love retro-stuff.

It can't be helped, kids prefer flashy, vibrant-looking and cartoony games. I can understand why though

[gimbal]

Minecraft is pretty great, family fun for us. Creating entire worlds together on the Switch version and I'm pretty sure when the kid is a little older we'll be tackling survival mode and killing the ender dragon together. Now if only I could ever get to grips with the controls.

Its kind of amazing what a child mind can come up with. Create a mountain, let lava drop off the top and then create a rollercoaster through it as if it is some messed up Disney ride that repeatedly threatens you with death by lava. Yes of course.

[AmigaMark]

Defo Deluxe Galaga - proper old school arcade game - need a robust fire button etc though

[Megalomaniac]

Originally Posted by Cris1997XX

It can't be helped, kids prefer flashy, vibrant-looking and cartoony games. I can understand why though

People who started on the VCS or Spectrum probably derided us for most of our favourite Amiga games using the same terms. It's like "Young people nowadays love luxury; they have bad manners and contempt for authority. They show disrespect for old people... contradict their parents, talk constantly in front of company, gobble their food and tyrannize their teachers." - which sounds like an unusually literate Daily Mail reader but was actually said by Socrates (the ancient Greek philosopher, not the footballer)

[Gorf]

Originally Posted by Megalomaniac

which sounds like an unusually literate Daily Mail reader but was actually said by Socrates (the ancient Greek philosopher, not the footballer)

a few hundred years later someone else in Rome was complaining about the youth in town:

O tempora, o mores!
Oh the times! Oh the customs!
-- Cicero

Fortune rota volvitur ...

[ Show youtube player ]

[malko]

Originally Posted by gimbal

Minecraft is pretty great, family fun for us. Creating entire worlds together on the Switch version and I'm pretty sure when the kid is a little older we'll be tackling survival mode and killing the ender dragon together. Now if only I could ever get to grips with the controls.

Its kind of amazing what a child mind can come up with. Create a mountain, let lava drop off the top and then create a rollercoaster through it as if it is some messed up Disney ride that repeatedly threatens you with death by lava. Yes of course.

You should come here. My mini-Godzillas will play with you with great pleasure. Minecraft is one of their favourite game on the Switch and they have a lot and lot of imagination while creating

[Fery]

1. Dune II
2. Superfrog
3. Deluxe Galaga
4. Walker
5. Alien Breed
6. Pinbal Illusion
7. Banshee
8. Project-X
9. Pang
10. Lemmings

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by Fery

1. Dune II
2. Superfrog
3. Deluxe Galaga / Xenon 2 / Banshee
4. Walker
5. Alien Breed
6. Pinbal Illusion
7. Banshee
8. Project-X
9. Pang
10. Lemmings

A nice combination of child friendly and child abuse.

[Megalomaniac]

Project X is surely too hard to be someone's first 2D shoot 'em up (though most of them on the Amiga are pretty difficult. Most Team 17 games too)?

[mahen]

Based on my 10 y.o daughter... (not really exposed to VG ; maybe 0.5-1 hour per... trimester !)

*Recent*
Jump ;-)
LUMA
Turbo Tomato
Solomon's Key 2

* Older
Gobliins 2
North&South
Impact or Krypton Egg or Megaball 4
AirTaxi
Bill's Tomato Game

* Obvious older choices *

Shadow Fighter
Slam Tilt
Lemmings
Superfrog
Qwak

Of course I would add some more complicated titles for older kids. (point&click, shmups, etc.)

[8bitbubsy]

I know James Pond 2 Robocod has already been mentioned, but I'll mention it too. I absolutely loved this one as a child (though the MS-DOS version). Very colorful and nice level themes, with interesting secrets and alternative level exits. It was the first James Pond I ever tried, and I don't even like the other games in the series.

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by 8bitbubsy

It was the first James Pond I ever tried, and I don't even like the other games in the series.

I can assure you, starting with James Pond 1 did not make me like James Pond 1 more. How can a game designed to look like it's a kid's game be so brutal.

[ImmortalA1000]

This is actually a tough thing I think. When I was a little kid Pong type consoles were the new thing and our family got one with COLOUR graphics wooo etc etc. Fast forward half a decade and it was VCS and games like Space Invaders or Empire Strikes Back so I didn't want to go back. I then had a C64 and games like Beach Head, Manic Miner and other great 1984 titles and I rarely played on the VCS. Once things like Beast1 and Lotus 1 were out the C64 was packed away (but I bought Bubble Bobble for my C64 and saved 15 quid over getting the Amiga version).

I don't think the younger generation of my family would be interested in Amiga games, for them Ridge Racer is 'retro gaming'. Depends how open minded they are. You wouldn't get me off Forbidden Forest on my C64 to play Haunted House on my VCS back then, people are spoilt by new technology and they have to be really open minded and inquisitive about 'how we got here' to play the really early stuff on 8/16bit computers/

I guess I would see if any would play It Came from the Desert, especially from my CDTV ISO with no disk swaps, as it is quite the unique and atmospheric experience with a hi-fi for the audio and a big plasma TV and it might hook them into the game world.

Maybe Unreal's flying sections, they are pretty impressive and 3D is all the defacto method for games to be displayed for the younger gamers with the current console generations I guess.

Global Gladiators is quite a fast and responsive platformer, also has some real funky music. Perhaps the best games are 2 player simultaneous games so both generations can play each other and you can ease them into the non 4k non ray traced game engines we had to play with back then

I could play my fav' Amiga games for hours each but I doubt any of the youngsters in my family would most of the time, different tastes today I guess.

It's actually a tough question.