Today we're here to give you a hit of nostalgia. Who here remembers the time when all games were pixel and we had to grind for so many hours just to get to the next level... only to cramp your hand from your controller? Okay, maybe I’m going overboard, but it cannot be denied that retro games still have a charm to them. Sure, games today have amazing graphics and look near realistic, and it doesn’t help that we have more VR games coming out now. Games today just have more attention to not only the story but the looks as well, and game developers continue to push the envelope and make greater and better games all the time. But not all games have to be beautiful pieces of 3D art. There are some games that make use of the older style of art in gaming, Undertale being a prime example of this.

What makes Undertale so good? It is praised by many for its story, characters and gameplay, and yet it makes use of an 8-bit style and manages to make it work. Now, can you just imagine how other modern games would look like if they were reverted to the retro game style? Oh sure, they aren’t in development anymore, but the minds of fans are wide and their talent for creating amazing pieces are art even wider. There are already a number of artists who have imagined this concept and made it not only work, but also look natural. Here are some amazing examples of modern games reverted to retro games. Whether it be 8-bit or 16-bit, an artist has found something to make it work.

20 Now This Is The Real Old School

This is a game with a simple concept that would have worked rather well in the retro age: shoot zombies and survive. With this design done by gilamasan, we have a Half-Life installation that looks like it was made for original Game Boy. Look at that off-color orange and monsters that look more like ballpen drawings come to life. It’s not an insult to the artist themselves, but you just remember when games used to be like this and people thought it was "the next big thing". If this had existed in the retro age of gaming, over the years it might have ended up forgotten and never spoken of again other than as a reference or a research piece.

19 Shooting In Space

Hey, it’s a sci-fi and a shooter game, a truly unique combo that isn’t found a lot! Just about everyone knows about Halo; even if you don't know the game itself or haven't played it extensively, you know about Master Chief, at least in a casual way. This isn't something that happens a lot with FPS games. With this piece done by jnkboy, the art style looks ready to be implemented to an old arcade or console. Everything here looks 80s and 90s, and we love it. You can already hear that techy space music now.

18 It's... "The Future"

Another multiplayer game that has been rising up on the ranks, Borderlands is one of many team shooter games that has quite some history to it and might as well be a Team Fortress variation, judging by this piece of art. Not to say that they are exactly the same, because hey, this has a solid story to it at least, but both of them look rather good when made into a pixel game. Here we have a solid gameplay design done by one Olsonmabob. There’s a lot of fantasy, action, mystery and all kinds of other game genres, but there isn’t enough sci-fi. And with the way people imagine “The Future” back then, then an idea like this would have fit right into their alley.

17 Is It Horror? Mystery? Or Both?

When you think about it, a lot of the more popular modern games are rather creepy and very story-intensive. Outlast, Bendy and Ink Machine... oh sure, there are lighter and funnier games, but games like Dishonored have become increasingly popular. It has action, mystery, and basically had the player as a type of spy. Have you seen the amount of kid shows with a spy theme that were made in the 80s and 90s? If this game had been released at the time and marketed right, it would have flown off the shelves. On the other hand, it could have also been thought of as a type of horror game, with the way that Learning2Pixel’s work of the game turned out. Honestly, it kind of looks like a poster for a scary game involving masks, if the title doesn’t say otherwise.

16 Hey, You Get Coins Here!

This is a real game for over-the-top female empowerment, mixed in with literally killer legs and demon battles. We might not have the 3D models or the elaborate transformation sequence, given that there would be no way that it would be greenlit in the past, but hey, with this design done by jnkboy, an artist who has transformed a number of modern games into classic retro games, we get coins in battle! And it also looks like a boss battle with minions, because why not have small platform to battle on while not one but two monsters and a boss are attacking you? The retro age had a real thing for going against the big boss on tiny platforms for safety, huh?

15 It Still Rocks On

Action, adventure, and killing monsters, how much more brutal can you get with a game literally titled Brutal Legend? It has everything that would make it a highly popular work for the 80s to 90s and the potential of being a nightmare work of parents of the past. Its current art style has the looks of a uniquely designed cartoon, so it would be no issue to demake it into pixels, as shown by jnkboy. Here we have what looks like a battle against a monster, and from the way the menu was designed, you can already feel your hand cramp from constantly moving and choosing different attacks against different monsters. On the other hand, though, the gothic look of the game works out rather well in pixel form and the monster still looks creepy as ever.

14 Artsy All The Way

Now this is one of the more artistic looking games in the list. Hollow Knight has a platforming and exploration gameplay that would fit right in into the world of classic games. Even in this pixel form done by Level25Select, the unique art form of the original game remains and looks like something for an arcade console. When you think about it, whether it be the past or the present, a lot of players can still appreciate a good art style and a chance to explore in a game. Here we have the hero going against a Hornet monster, and just looking at it the artist has made it on par with the styles of RPG classics such as Final Fantasy or a rendition of Kingdom Hearts for the Game Boy Advance.

13 A Little Less Scary Now

A real underwater mystery with twists and turns at every corner, this is a game that took on the horror mystery genre with dark graphics and a story that many would remember with just the phrase of “would you please”? Such a polite statement, turned into a key of hypnotism, is a new level of creepiness. But that’s not all to remember this game by; there are most definitely the Big Daddies, the little girls and more. But then how well would have the game turned out if the game had been designed the way that JakeChiran did the game? Well, for one thing, the control panel and life meter definitely show a definitive factor of the gameplay as something more detailed, and the art style makes for an interesting work.

12 Now, This Just Isn't Fair Anymore

Well, for one thing, this piece shared by Pedoroso Joe shows that with an 8-bit version of the action game, God of War, the boss level looks less overwhelming compared to the original game. In fact, with the look of this the player actually might have a chance with a clear health level and solid platform to land back on after taking on aerial attacks. You can already hear the techno action music going on, and you have a set boss battle. On the other hand, the smarter players of the game may find this style less challenging than the original. There is also then 2D factor to take in, so you can’t really run around. And if that really is a sky scene, then falling is also another factor... you know what, this may actually be more challenging.

11 A Real Modern And Retro Mix

Here’s a game that has the looks of being for the older consoles of the past. With its 2D style making out the enemy looking more like a knock-off plastic figurine, matleirasxavier has created a retro look of the survival game that would fly off the shelves for its action, survival and mystery concept. Add in the fact that there is a creep factor to it, with different stories in each area the player explores in a post-apocalyptic setting... well, if memes were popular back then, there would be quite a bit of “take my money!” ones going around. On the other hand, the psychological workings of the game could also be found as a con of the game, even with the amount of shooting and scavenging that can be done.

10 I Think... Things Just Got A Lot Harder With This

By far one of the most memorable puzzle games on this list, many will know the game of Portal by one phrase: “the cake is a lie.” A simple phrase and yet it stuck, really. The story of this game is also really memorable. But putting the story aside and thinking of the gameplay, the amount of frustration from having to go round and round just to solve one part or having to be extra careful leaves a lot of tension for players. Making this game into a retro game would make things that much more difficult. BrokenHAX’s design shows that making the game in a more limited way would drastically change the way we'd play it.

9 What Do We Hit To Press Play?

You know what's frustrating about the recent multiplayer first-person shooter games of today? The fact that one minute you can be walking over to another section to help out your other teammates, and then the next moment you find yourself dead on the ground because some other player decided to camp out and take out the weaker players of the group. In the game the player will find himself in an almost realistic military setting with soldiers running around, gunshots flying, and maybe even an early assault from the enemy team upon entry. Imagine how it would be if it was in a more retro style like this menu scene done by jasonoda. In fact, according to the artist’s story of the piece, it was apparently meant to be an Easter Egg in the promotional video of the Call of Duty: Ghosts installation, about a group of men going to Las Vegas while it is being blown up. It ended up being cancelled. Sad thing, as the artist's page showed a lot of potential as a retro game with its pixel work... in fact, this menu scene seems near legit.

8 Hey, You Can See More

Memes, videos, comics, art, crossovers and so much more have bombarded the internet from this game. Whether it be the glitches, the funny things that could be done with the characters because of their design or just because, Team Fortress was known to many on the internet even before they knew it was a game. Being a first-person shooter with a capture the flag/protect your territory kind of feel to it, it was a popular thing among many players. Now with this design made by gas13, the game not only has a look to it that would result in less memes, but the bright colors and but taking out the first-person element out of it may open a way to more strategic scoping to it, as you can see what other teammates are doing. But then it could also take out the fun of the game and become like any other shooter game of the past and become forgotten. Here, the artist does have fun miniature renditions of the classes dancing as an alternative look at the game.

7 It's Fun At Any Age

Simple mechanics and fun graphics, Splatoon is a type of game that would work out real well for all kinds of consoles. While the modern version has much exploration and better and smoother shifts in control, it would be interesting to see how it would turn out if it had the mechanics of old classic games, such as long amounts of combos and a high chance of button mashing and other console complexities. Davitsu creates the perfect imagery on what it would be like if the game was demade into a pixel world. Not only does it stay faithful to the main style of the game, but the artist managed to create an interesting charm and potential with their design. The fact that this could be a 2D game rather than 3D might add a higher challenge to it.

6 Do We Have A Game Or A Movie Here?

A game that mixes in both sci-fi and mystery, this is a game that had explosions, aliens, surreal shooting and an elaborate plot all mixed into one heap of creative exploration and puzzle solving. Prey had a lot of things going for it. Heck, one of the most memorable things is piercing yourself in the eye with a needle to level up, a rather cringeworthy fixture for a game to have. The fun thing about demaking things, however, is that the level of creepiness and such tends to notch down quite a bit depending on the type of game. You might not be able to tell what horrors lurk within the game, but the way that 1Eni1 has presented the game with this poster-worthy piece makes it out to be a mystery ready to be unravelled with guns blazing.

5 Would This Be Simpler Or Even Harder?

This was a game that brought about all kinds of rage quits and frustration. Whether it be falling off the most inconvenient corners, or getting killed by the boss when they only have the tiniest bit of help, Dark Souls is an RPG that many players will remember. It cannot be denied, however, that the graphics and realistic aspects of the world which the game as set itself in. Here we have an interesting rendition of the game in pixel form done by mrkh. Just imagine, with this older form of the game there may a lesser risk of falling off at the most inconvenient times and a chance to actually use the pause button in battle with a boss to strategize. Well, it might take away some of the fun and challenge of the game so this concept may as well be a toss-up.

4 This Is A Hit Of Nostalgia

The Legend of Zelda is one of the oldest franchises in the gaming world next to Mario and is one of the first RPG games to be released with a classic story and hero. Over the years the installations of the game have grown and developed both in story and style. With the latest installation, Breath of the Wild, there is a gigantic world to explore and new struggles to go through. However, there is a charm to be found with the earlier forms of RPG, especially when they were designed like this piece done by NegiWhite. It still has Link in his latest outfit, but from the looks of it much easier controls, if that mini-map and three lives are anything to go by. Everything about this piece just looks simple and cute and if it had been released in the past, may have attracted a few girls just for the art alone.

3 This Would Look Great On Mobile

Here is a game that is sweeping the multiplayer and RPG realms of gaming. From the characters to the gameplay and the story, Overwatch has quickly made a space for itself among other more established games. From elaborate graphics to a thought-out gameplay, there people have praised this game on everything from its controls to character abilities. So, what would happen if it were suddenly reverted to an older style? For one thing, there would most likely be more button mashing involved with the amount of moves each character has, and if it were to follow a turn-based system like the RPGs of the past then there is also a lowered chance of surprise kills. Honestly, there are a lot of pros and cons to find with this idea, presented by Chiwadesu.

2 Let's Get Mini

Now, this is a game that practically coined a “free for all” concept in the gaming world. Racing, stealing, even killing, you can either be a criminal mastermind or cruise your way to the top of this game. GTA V still holds a high rank among players for many reasons, with people still playing it even so many years after its initial release. But then imagine if this installation of the game had come out in the 90s? With the way that amirmr demade the game into a pixelized form, the game turned into something that would turn out as a comedy today yet perfectly fits for something like the earlier versions of Game Boy. Look at how tiny they turned out... even if they’re shooting guns and making explosions, they look like little dolls.

1 An Instant Classic Turned Even More Classic

The game just came out and already a fandom has already exploded over the work with a variety of fanart, videos, and even music compilations. Being a game that already uses an animation style of days gone by, it would be no difficulty to shift the game style to an even older style. Just look at this work done by ScepterDPony; you would think that this was a picture from an old arcade game. From the player 1 and 2 icons to the possible life amount on top, it wouldn’t be hard to think of an old arcade console of the game with joysticks and buttons and all. Who knows, it might have racked up a few tokens for an arcade with the amount of difficulty it has. With the amount of rage and admiration that had been poured from players and artists alike, it’s highly likely.