Kickin’ It Old School in This Week’s Good-Ass Games at Good-Ass Prices

Happy Friday, folks! I hope this week wasn’t too bad for you. Even it was, at least you got the weekend ahead of you and some good gaming to look forward to. This week’s sales are basically all retro games, so today’s list will be all bangers from the past.

You already know I’m about to show my PS2-loving ass today, so I’d appreciate it if y’all didn’t act brand new.

Jak and Daxter Bundle, $14.99 (PlayStation)

For only $15 you get three great action-platformers and one solid-ass combat racer. The Jak and Daxter series marked developer Naughty Dog’s transition from making zany platformers like the Crash Bandicoot series to the story-driven epics we’ve come to expect with the Uncharted and The Last of Us games. You can literally see that transition in the series itself. The first Jak and Daxter was a straightforward action-platformer, while Jak II and Jak III were open-world action-adventure games that greatly expanded the lore and history of the world.

Jak X: Combat Racing is just a fun ass racing game that acts as a nice little epilogue to the events of the main games. I still have a soft spot for Jak II simply because I remember 11-years-old and in complete wonder of the open world Haven City. My mom was hella strict on what I could play so Jak II, not Grand Theft Auto, was the first time I ever experienced an open-world game.

You probably don’t share that nostalgia, but trust me, you don’t need to. The games are filled with heart, humor, and a surprisingly compelling story. If you were simply too young, or missed the games when they came out, these are some PlayStation classics you need to add to your collection.

Also, they’re all currently 8 bucks each separately. So the bundle isn’t just good, it’s a hell of a deal.

The Warriors, $8.99 (PlayStation)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rockstar Games for making this game, as without it I may have never been introduced to the films of Walter Hill. (The Warriors is great, but check out The Driver. The car chases are mean as hell and it just oozes ‘70s cool )

Arguably the best movie game of all time, The Warriors is an adaptation of the 1979 cult classic film. You play as the titular Warriors, who are trying to make it back home after being accused of assassinating gang leader Cyrus as he tried to unite the armies of the night. It’s a straight-up old school brawler that acts as both a prequel and an incredibly faithful adaptation of the movie, with many of the original cast members reprising their roles for the game.

There really hasn’t been a game like The Warriors in the time since it’s release, partially because Rockstar is probably the only company willing to drop major coin on an adaptation of a cult film from the ’70s.

If this one slipped your radar back in the day, give it a look.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, $2.99 (PlayStation)

If you never managed to pick up developer Crystal Dynamics’ 2013 reboot of the Tomb Raider series, then you’ve missed out. Luckily, for only $3 you’d be getting the first game for a steal.

The game charts the origin of Lara Croft, who starts the game as just a regular archaeologist, and not the badass with the dual pistols that we’ve come to know and love. After the ship she’s on violently capsizes, Lara washes up on a mysterious island and is forced to use her wits and a bow and arrow to find her friends, and save them from the malevolent cult that occupies the island.

Yes, the game is basically not-Uncharted, but it has a level of brutality and grit not present in those games. The game is surprisingly hyper violent, so if you’re squeamish I wouldn’t recommend it. If you’re looking for an action-platformer that has a bit of an edge to it, you could do far worse than Tomb Raider. Also, it’s pretty short so you could easily knock the game out over the weekend.

Well, that should do it for me today. Xbox fans, again, I’m sorry, your marketplace just doesn’t seem to like you. I might start doing Game Pass recs at this point because I just feel bad about the money you’re not saving.

What are some of your favorite retro games? Sound off in the comments below! I might just join, but I know I’ll piss you old heads off talking about “My favorite retro game is Kingdom Hearts II.”

So as always stay safe, wash your hands, wear a mask, and play more video games.