Worms2 made a welcome return to Xbox Live Arcade last week, Monkey Island this week, and Bubble Bobble is coming soon...
It's great to see that my gaming past is no longer consigned to history. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside that all these years later, you can relive some of your favourite moments - the same old gameplay but with swanky new graphics and sound.
It got me thinking though...If I were Jamie and I had a Magic Torch (some more nostalgia creeping in here), what gaming adventures would I want to relive?
Here are five that I'd really love to make a comeback.
- Populous (1989) - one of the original God games and still among the finest examples of the genre. Charged with protecting your nomadic followers, you adapt the landscape to ensure your settlers can build bigger and better dwellings. Succeed and they prosper, fail and your little fellas get wiped out by neighbouring enemies. (likelihood of standing the test of time: 4/5)
- North and South (1989) - based on the Les Tuniques Bleues comic books by Belgian Jean Depuis, North and South consisted of a series of mini games centred around the American Civil War. The same comedy that featured in the popular comics was perfectly transferred to the game, livening up the dry-sounding subject matter. Take over forts, commandeer trains and then take to the battlefield, armed with infantry, cavalry and cannons! (3.5/5)
- Boulderdash (1984) - Taking on the role of explorer Rockford, dig your way through hundreds of caves to gather lost jewels while avoiding the various beasties. Crushing baddies with boulders has never been so much fun. The level editor also added hours of gameplay. Simple yet effective gaming. (4/5)
- Rick Dangerous 2 (1990) - unsurprisingly, this was the sequel to sleeper hit Rick Dangerous. Again, you control Rick and his heavily coiffured hair and funky hat, leading him through a series of Indiana Jones-style adventures. This time there's a twist...rather than our protagonist facing tribesmen and soldiers, aliens have invaded and he must do their best to fend them off! (3/5)
- Spy vs Spy (1984) - based on MAD magazine's cartoon strip, Spy vs Spy was a split screen gem. A black and white spy, both blessed with all manner of weapons, roam a house laying booby traps for the other to find. It spawned a couple of sequels, but the original boasted real pick up and play brilliance. A modern version with online play would be awesome. (3.5/5)