Recently I accepted a new job which required me to move pretty far to the North. So, I have been in the process of moving me and my family, but currently exist in two places at once, and spend a lot of time traveling between them. As such, there is little time for me to sit down in front of a large TV to play games or at my main gaming computer. Both are currently far away from me at the moment. That makes it so that much of my gaming time is spent with a Nintendo Switch, often playing on the included small screen.

But it’s not so bad. Before my relocation process started, I downloaded the retro service that the Switch offers with their premium membership. That got me access to a bunch of really good titles from the NES era clear up to the Nintendo 64. And most of them play really well on the Switch, even in small screen mode.

So, if any of you are in a similar situation, here are the top classics that I have been enjoying despite not being anchored to an official gaming setup at the moment. I would highly recommend them when playing remotely.

Pokemon Stadium

It’s amazing how well Pokemon Stadium has aged since its launch. It is still fun to play, and the retro service’s version is more stable than any N64 copy I have recently tried. My friend Lamar and I would pass the controller back and forth while working through the grand prix mode. This alone makes the Switch’s retro service worth it, but there were more of its games to be played.

Pokemon Snap

I was so happy to dig into this as I had bought the New Pokemon Snap and felt melancholy toward my lack of owning the original. I will say that I was negative on the new version until I played the original Pokemon Snap. I’m not uttering blasphemy that New Pokemon Snap is better, they are just both really good in their own way. Pokemon Snap deserves a replay if you get the chance.

WarioWare, Inc.

I decided to switch to Game Boy Advance titles and play WarioWare, Inc. I had never played this until now, and it was different because it doesn’t tell you the rules and you only have a couple seconds to learn. At first, I felt anxiety, then it turned into zen as I hit a hot streak. I beat the whole game in an afternoon, which made me sad.

Mario Party 2

Mario Party 2 was nice to see as it was the perfect title for an impromptu party night at my house. It is great with friends and buffalo chicken dip. The game has held up great, which is no surprise as Mario Party has the same formula. Mario Party 2 is alright solo too, but better with human friends, as I pointed out in a previous column.

Overall

I really am having a surprisingly good time and want to play more of these classics, but I also have Octopath Traveler 2 demanding my attention. If I didn’t buy another new game for months, I’d probably still be enjoying a lot of these classics. For example, the Game Boy era, which I also have access to through the retro service, includes some interesting titles and Nintendo keeps adding more. Allegedly, Pokemon Stadium 2 will be landing on the service in the near future.

I’m glad that so many consoles are making their classics available now for modern gamers to play. For those of us who suffer from anxiety, it’s doubly relaxing to have titles that give us a little bit of nostalgia. Sometimes, it takes beating your wife at Mario Kart 64 to make your weekend a little better. And always remember, you can shoot the green shells backwards to annoy your wife right before the finish line, though I would not recommend that you do that too often.

Let us know what classic titles you have been playing or want to see ported over. Also, don’t forget to listen to The GiN Lounge podcast featuring Vincent Mahoney and me as your hosts. The podcast is right here on GiN and also on your favorite podcast channels.