Video games can exist forever in our mind but some are only sold for a short time. Preservation isn’t always a priority for corporations. A game could be released and gone forever, all within a short time.
Physical single-player games can often be played long after their initial release, if not at least through emulation, but digital exclusives can oftentimes be gone forever once taken down. This especially applies to titles that require servers to host players.
These are countless games lost to time but these are some of the best.
The Best Games You Can’t Play Anymore
1 vs 100
Shutting down 1 vs 100 is the dumbest thing Microsoft has ever done. The multiplayer trivia game was free, exciting, and a huge, shared social experience.
This was all done in 2009 across a few different seasons, and then it just didn’t return. I’ve yet to find someone my age without a good memory of 1 vs 100 on Xbox 360.
Clips can be found online but there’s no way to actually play it since it was a live game against other players. Shared social experiences have become even more popular over the years so Microsoft should look into bringing 1 vs 100 back.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled
Slashing and kicking through waves of baddies on Xbox Live in 2009 was so much fun. I can only imagine how much fun it’ll be once Shredder’s Revenge releases.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled gave a new audience the ability to play a classic SNES beat ‘em up, but with new graphics, online functionality, and more.
It was really popular when it came out. The only reason it was pulled was due to licensing. Bummer, dude.
Super Mario 35
Nintendo infuriates me because the company makes incredible games and then takes them away. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to play the best Zelda game (The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD) on Nintendo Switch. And the same can be said about Super Mario 35.
Super Mario 35 let players compete through classic levels from Super Mario Bros.until Nintendo was done celebrating Mario’s 35th anniversary. It was a popular game. I rarely had to wait long for matches to start.
Pac-Man 99 and Tetris 99 are still around and popular so there’s no reason to keep a fun game away from an audience. It’s just Nintendo doing silly Nintendo stuff.
The interactivity of video games is one of its most alluring elements but they also require servers, people, technology, and more to make it all work. It’s part of the reason the video game industry needs to join the rest of art in honoring preservation.
The other reason is because video games are cool.
Related: Classic Xbox Originals That Deserve Backward Compatibility
