Retro Games That Help With Anxiety

[Nintendo64]

On 7/8/2020 at 5:19 PM, IntelliMission said:

Yeah, same game but you can save anywhere instead of limited saves with just a few crystals. That definitely changes the pace of the game. The version I played 23 years ago had no videos and no music and that made the experience much better, more mysterious.

Thanks for your input. I will definitely try to play some Tomb Raider this weekend. I have it on a emulator, so I can save the game state at any point, which I think greatly helps with relieving some anxiety.

 

On 7/8/2020 at 6:07 PM, thegoldenband said:

Just to clarify, Tail of the Sun was released in the US (though it's one of the rarer games for the PlayStation).

Thanks for that information, I will try to see if I can obtain this game. I appreciate you letting me know about the US release title.

 

On 7/9/2020 at 3:34 PM, wongojack said:

To the uninitiated, the C64 can be a little . . . hard to get into.  I'd recommend just using VICE which is an excellent and very popular emulator.  You can search and usually get individual game files right from GB64: http://www.gamebase64.com/game.php?id=8295&d=18&h=0.  Quite a few cracks and hacks are usually indexed and stored on CSDB.

Thanks for your information pertaining to the C64. I will try to get that emulator and try out some c64 games from that site.

 

I really appreciate everyones input about trying to find retro games that help relieve some anxiety.

Edited July 11, 2020 by Nintendo64

[Steven Pendleton]

I can't believe that nobody has suggested Out Run, so try that one. Actually, I think a lot of Sega's Super Scaler games would probably be good.

[pce_collector]

I've been playing Animal Crossing: City Folk because I can pick up and play for short bursts collecting fossils, reorganizing my furniture, and other relaxing stuff. And I can stop or pause while I tend to other garbage in my life without issue unlike the online games my friends and family often play.

 

The GameCube version of AC might be more up your alley since it's technically older and it has retro NES games in the game.

[Nintendo64]

23 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

I can't believe that nobody has suggested Out Run, so try that one. Actually, I think a lot of Sega's Super Scaler games would probably be good.

Thats a really good suggestion, Ive remember playing Out Run for the sega master system when I owned it in the 80's. I actually played a little of the Outrun for PS2 for a while back and thought it was a easy flowing type of game as well.

 

9 hours ago, pce_collector said:

The GameCube version of AC might be more up your alley since it's technically older and it has retro NES games in the game.

Thanks for the suggestion, that's interesting that there are NES games within that game.

[Steven Pendleton]

On 7/12/2020 at 1:54 PM, Nintendo64 said:

Thats a really good suggestion, Ive remember playing Out Run for the sega master system when I owned it in the 80's. I actually played a little of the Outrun for PS2 for a while back and thought it was a easy flowing type of game as well.

Yeah, those old Sega arcade games are extremely fun and they play very well. I'd recommend looking into various different arcade games, as well; Sega, Konami, Namco, SNK, and other companies have all made a lot of extremely high-quality arcade games. Everyone knows that I love Sega and their Super Scalers are amazing games, but Xevious, Scramble, TwinBee, Fantasy Zone, 1941 Counter Attack, and a lot of Neo Geo titles are excellent. I've only played the SuperGrafx version of 1941 Counter Attack, but it's awesome in every way possible and I imagine the arcade version is even better.

 

For Sega, I particularly like Shinobi, Space Harrier, Gain Ground, Virtua Racing, After Burner II, and Out Run, but you really can't go wrong with Sega in general, so I highly recommend checking out all Sega arcade games since I'm sure you'll find some good ones! Some of the really good ones got home ports, so if you have a Saturn or Dreamcast (preferably both!) and a CRT for light gun games, I'd look into some of the better home conversions!

 

On Virtua Racing: the Switch port is excellent, easily accessible, runs extremely well, has local multiplayer, and is portable! Virtua Racing Deluxe on the 32X is also quite good if you have one of those, and it has some exclusive tracks and cars! Even the Genesis/MD version is still highly playable and lots of fun, and even though I have the 32X and Switch versions, I still play this version a lot because I can play it on the Nomad. You really can't go wrong with any version of this game.

 

The majority of Neo Geo games easily obtainable for reasonable prices on modern hardware through ACA NEOGEO, as well. I just got into Neo Geo recently, so I'm really not the best guy to ask about Neo Geo games. Maybe stop by the Neo Geo thread and ask for some suggestions in there; the Neo Geo community has a reputation for being a bunch of arrogant, unlikable elitists, but that's definitely not true here on AtariAge for sure.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Steven Pendleton
forgot Fantasy Zone

[Nintendo64]

16 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

For Sega, I particularly like Shinobi, Space Harrier, Gain Ground, Virtua Racing, After Burner II, and Out Run, but you really can't go wrong with Sega in general, so I highly recommend checking out all Sega arcade games since I'm sure you'll find some good ones!

These are some good suggestions, I like all of these games as well, but haven't played Gain Ground before. I also remember playing Virtua Racing on the sega genesis when it was released, and I really remember liking the game. I will try to see if I can play that one again to help relieve some anxiety.

 

16 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

The majority of Neo Geo games easily obtainable for reasonable prices on modern hardware through ACA NEOGEO, as well.

I haven't really played much of the Neo Geo, besides the Neo Geo collection game I own for the PS2. I did like playing that game though, maybe Ill try and see if I can obtain another Neo Geo collection game or download some of the releases on the PS4.

[IntelliMission]

Hey @Nintendo64, back to the PS1 I think you should try the game Klonoa, a pretty relaxing 2.5D platformer. The gameplay is excellent, with just the right difficulty, and I can't believe how good the music actually is.

Edited July 16, 2020 by IntelliMission

[Steven Pendleton]

On 7/15/2020 at 9:08 AM, Nintendo64 said:

These are some good suggestions, I like all of these games as well, but haven't played Gain Ground before. I also remember playing Virtua Racing on the sega genesis when it was released, and I really remember liking the game. I will try to see if I can play that one again to help relieve some anxiety.

 

I haven't really played much of the Neo Geo, besides the Neo Geo collection game I own for the PS2. I did like playing that game though, maybe Ill try and see if I can obtain another Neo Geo collection game or download some of the releases on the PS4.

Gain Ground is awesome. Try to play the arcade version if you can, but the home versions are also pretty good. If you can't play the arcade version, I recommend Gain Ground SX on the PC Engine if you have a way to play PC Engine games.

 

The Neo Geo is awesome and definitely worth looking into. Actual games are expensive as hell, but there are lots of official ports and emulated versions, like ACA NEOGEO, which are way cheaper than buying real carts.

[Nintendo64]

On 7/16/2020 at 8:04 AM, IntelliMission said:

Hey @Nintendo64, back to the PS1 I think you should try the game Klonoa, a pretty relaxing 2.5D platformer. The gameplay is excellent, with just the right difficulty, and I can't believe how good the music actually is.

this looks like a really good game, I will definitely try it out.

 

2 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Gain Ground is awesome. Try to play the arcade version if you can, but the home versions are also pretty good. If you can't play the arcade version, I recommend Gain Ground SX on the PC Engine if you have a way to play PC Engine games.

 

The Neo Geo is awesome and definitely worth looking into. Actual games are expensive as hell, but there are lots of official ports and emulated versions, like ACA NEOGEO, which are way cheaper than buying real carts.

One day I will try to obtain the Neo Geo, but for now I will try to get an emulator to play it. I just played Gain Ground, and I can understand how it is an anxiety relieving game. It is not to fast paced, and it was enjoyable to play. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Nintendo64]

Just want to add another game to the list. I think that Adventures of Lolo for the NES is a great game to help relive some anxiety, to an extent. Although some levels might be anxiety inducing, i feel like for the most part this game is one that someone could get lost in trying to figure out how to complete the different puzzles. I believe the developers did a good job trying to implement different ways to solve the various puzzles. For the most part, I would definitely recommend playing this game with save states to help relieve a little anxiety.

Edited July 31, 2020 by Nintendo64

[Nintendo64]

I would like to add another game to the list. I'm not sure if it has been said already, but I think Tiger Woods 2004 for the PS2 is a good game to play to help relieve some anxiety. I personally like playing on one player mode with another person, and doing alternates holes (one person plays one hole, then I play the following hole). I think it is a relaxing game to play and I especially like playing it with the rain setting on. There's something about these old Tiger Wood golf games that are just allot more fun to play then the modern ones, in my opinion. I think most of the Tiger Woods golf games on the PS2 are fun because they display a good mixture of arcade feel, with just the right amount of simulation elements.

 

Sorry just realized I added Tiger Woods 2002 earlier in the topic. The 2004 version is a really fun version to play, and I hope someone will try this game out as well. Either way I hope this helps someone relieve some anxiety, even if its a little bit.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Nintendo64

[Steven Pendleton]

If you like golf games, definitely play Neo Turf Masters on the Neo Geo because it's awesome. I don't even play golf games and I like this game!

[Nintendo64]

22 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

If you like golf games, definitely play Neo Turf Masters on the Neo Geo because it's awesome. I don't even play golf games and I like this game!

Thanks for the suggestion, I will try that out if I get a chance. Do you know if they ported Turf Masters to any other system on maybe a compilation disc or something? Currently I dont have a Neo Geo or Neo Geo emulator.

[Steven Pendleton]

9 minutes ago, Nintendo64 said:

Thanks for the suggestion, I will try that out if I get a chance. Do you know if they ported Turf Masters to any other system on maybe a compilation disc or something? Currently I dont have a Neo Geo or Neo Geo emulator.

It's on any system that has ACA NEOGEO under its Japanese title, Big Tournament Golf.

[roots.genoa]

2 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

It's on any system that has ACA NEOGEO under its Japanese title, Big Tournament Golf.

This is available on Xbox One, PS4, and Switch under its western game as well. It's not on Steam though.

[Steven Pendleton]

2 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

This is available on Xbox One, PS4, and Switch under its western game as well. It's not on Steam though.

They recently changed it to Big Tournament Golf on all systems where it's available in the USA, at least. It was listed as Neo Turf Masters, but not anymore...

Edited September 2, 2020 by Steven Pendleton

[Nintendo64]

4 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

This is available on Xbox One, PS4, and Switch under its western game as well. It's not on Steam though.

Thank you for that information. I actually just played Turf Masters on the PS2 SNK collection and thought this was a good version of the game to play as well.

 

7 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

It's on any system that has ACA NEOGEO under its Japanese title, Big Tournament Golf.

I really enjoyed playing it and I thought it relieved some anxiety as well. I played it in the past but didn't give it a full chance. Now that I've played it again, I thought it had some good scenery and was a relaxing game to play. I do prefer playing it with the sound off and just listening to my personal music at the same time, as for the music in the game is not so relaxing to me. Thanks again for suggestion, I really appreciate it.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Nintendo64

[roots.genoa]

2 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

They recently changed it to Big Tournament Golf on all systems where it's available in the USA, at least. It was listed as Neo Turf Masters, but not anymore...

Oh! You're right, in Europe too... O_o I had not idea. Well, to be fair, the Japanese name is a lot more relevant for a change. In French, the worf "turf" is usually associated with horses.

[IntelliMission]

Neo Turf Masters is an amazing and beautiful looking game, but I wouldn't call it relaxing. I think there's a time limit for each shot.

 

But I agree golf games can be relaxing. So my recommendation is Fuji Golf, which was included in the Microsoft Windows Entertainment Pack 3:

 

 

It looks like running it under Windows 10 is not possible, but maybe you can use the compatibility mode in previous Windows versions. As a workaround, you can play the game though Archive.org (see link above).

Edited September 2, 2020 by IntelliMission

[Nintendo64]

14 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

Neo Turf Masters is an amazing and beautiful looking game, but I wouldn't call it relaxing. I think there's a time limit for each shot.

This is a good point. I did find the scenery relaxing though, but for some reason I felt like tiger woods for the PS2 was a little bit more relaxing, but I really like all of the suggestions everyone is giving. I will try to see If I can find the Fuji golf game.

Edited September 3, 2020 by Nintendo64

[IntelliMission]

13 hours ago, Nintendo64 said:

This is a good point. I did find the scenery relaxing though, but for some reason I felt like tiger woods for the PS2 was a little bit more relaxing, but I really like all of the suggestions everyone is giving. I will try to see If I can find the Fuji golf game.

 

If you have a Windows 3/95/98/XP/7/8 PC, you can download the game from here (click on "Zip" on the right side) and run the file directly using compatibility mode.

 

If your only Windows PC has Windows 10, the only solutions are either to play the web-based emulator on the same link or to emulate Windows 3 with DOSBox and then try to mount some disk drive. Since you have the files, maybe you can simply copy them inside the Windows 3 installation folder in DOSBox and read them from the file explorer in Windows 3 under DOSBox.

[Nintendo64]

3 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

 

If you have a Windows 3/95/98/XP/7/8 PC, you can download the game from here (click on "Zip" on the right side) and run the file directly using compatibility mode.

 

If your only Windows PC has Windows 10, the only solutions are either to play the web-based emulator on the same link or to emulate Windows 3 with DOSBox and then try to mount some disk drive. Since you have the files, maybe you can simply copy them inside the Windows 3 installation folder in DOSBox and read them from the file explorer in Windows 3 under DOSBox.

Thank you for this information, I do have a computer with windows 7 on it and I will try this game out. It is really nice to see the different variety of games that people play to help relieve some anxiety.

Edited September 3, 2020 by Nintendo64

[Leeroy ST]

The original REEL Fishing games on the PS1 would be a great way to relax.

 

You also have FMV games which require little input and can be some nice relaxing entertainment. Corpse killer and so on.

 

 

[Steven Pendleton]

On 9/2/2020 at 7:25 PM, Nintendo64 said:

I really enjoyed playing it and I thought it relieved some anxiety as well. I played it in the past but didn't give it a full chance. Now that I've played it again, I thought it had some good scenery and was a relaxing game to play. I do prefer playing it with the sound off and just listening to my personal music at the same time, as for the music in the game is not so relaxing to me. Thanks again for suggestion, I really appreciate it.

Sure, no problem. It's a bit extremely high-tension for a golf game, so I'm not sure if it would work for everyone, but it's a very fun game and one of my favourite Neo Geo games.

 

On 9/2/2020 at 8:32 PM, roots.genoa said:

Oh! You're right, in Europe too... O_o I had not idea. Well, to be fair, the Japanese name is a lot more relevant for a change. In French, the worf "turf" is usually associated with horses.

Yeah, apparently there is something going on with some super arrogant golf association/group/thingy that I've never heard of before and this game's title, which is why it was recently changed in Arcade Archives. This is also apparently why it has not been included in the Neo Geo Mini and other places in favour of Top Player's Golf instead. I wish they'd just use the Japanese title instead since there seems to be no problem with that title so they can include it on the Neo Geo Mini and stuff.

[Nintendo64]

On 9/8/2020 at 5:15 AM, Steven Pendleton said:

Sure, no problem. It's a bit extremely high-tension for a golf game, so I'm not sure if it would work for everyone, but it's a very fun game and one of my favourite Neo Geo games.

I did find it to be a high-tension golf game because of the time limit, but I think it makes up for it with the nice scenery. I especially like the shot where there is a giant waterfall at the beginning of the hole, I think its on the American course. I must say though I think the Tiger Woods series for the PS2 is the most calming golf game to play, there is just something about playing that game with the rain setting that is relaxing to me. Either way as always I appreciate the suggestions for games to help relieve some anxiety.

Edited September 9, 2020 by Nintendo64