Best Retro Sci Fi

Halo: Combat Evolved redefined the first-person shooter genre with its compelling story, innovative gameplay, and iconic visuals. While its graphics are dated, its impact on gaming is undeniable. The games introduction of the Master Chief and the Halo universe captivated audiences and established a...

UFO: Enemy Unknown is a strategy game developed in 1994 by Mythos Games. Players manage an international organization, X-COM, tasked with defending Earth against an alien invasion through turn-based tactical missions and strategic base management. The game combines real-time simulation elements with...

Simon and Kamina were born and raised in a deep, underground village, hidden from the fabled surface. Kamina is a free-spirited loose cannon bent on making a name for himself, while Simon is a timid young boy with no real aspirations. One day while excavating the earth, Simon stumbles upon a mysteri...

Following NERV's failed attempt to retrieve the Spears of Longinus and carry out the Human Instrumentality Project, the destruction caused by the Fourth Impact has been largely averted. In a state of disarray, Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Shikinami, and Rei Ayanami travel to Village 3—a survivor sett...

Star Wars is a science fiction saga centered on a galactic conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the tyrannical Galactic Empire. Its enduring appeal stems from its expansive universe, iconic characters, and exploration of themes like heroism and rebellion. The series has profoundly shaped space op...

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a turn-based tactics game where players control XCOM, a multinational paramilitary organization, during an invasion of Earth in 2015. Gameplay involves tactical missions against aliens, alongside strategic elements such as research, base management, and resource allocation. Th...

Metroid Dread represents a triumphant return for Samus Aran, delivering a thrilling and modernized Metroidvania experience. The game seamlessly blends classic Metroid gameplay with contemporary design, introducing new abilities and a pervasive sense of dread as Samus is hunted by relentless E.M.M.I...

System Shock is a 1994 first-person action-adventure game set on a space station in 2072. The player controls a security hacker tasked with disrupting the actions of the AI, SHODAN. Developed by LookingGlass Technologies and Origin Systems, it features a cyberpunk setting and an attempt to thwart a...

Kamen Rider Gaim is a 2013-2014 Japanese tokusatsu drama within the Kamen Rider Series. It aired on TV Asahi as part of Super Hero Time, replacing *Kamen Rider Wizard* and featuring a blend of fruit motifs, warrior themes, and dance culture. The narrative centered around competing dance crews and ex...

Metroid: Zero Mission is a 2004 Game Boy Advance game that reimagines the classic 1986 Metroid. It offers players a faithful recreation of Samus Aran’s journey through Planet ZDR, expanding upon the original's exploration and action gameplay. The title appeals to fans of retro gaming and those inter...

TimeSplitters 2 is a first-person shooter released in 2002 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. The game’s narrative involves a space marine attempting to retrieve time crystals from the TimeSplitters, an alien race spanning eras from the 19th to the 25th century. It incorporates elements of horro...

Mega Man X2 is a 1994 Super Nintendo game developed by Capcom. The title follows Maverick Hunter X as he confronts new threats, including the X-Hunters, who utilize body parts of fallen comrade Zero to target him. Set in a future where humans and Reploids coexist, the game’s narrative centers on X's...

XCOM 2 remains a benchmark for turn-based tactical combat, tasking players with leading a global resistance against an alien occupation. The games permadeath system creates intense pressure and meaningful consequences for every decision. Base building, research, and soldier customization add layers...

Second season of Space Dandy. Space Dandy is a dandy guy, in space! This dreamy adventurer with a to-die-for pompadour travels across the galaxy in search of aliens no one has ever laid eyes on. Each new species he discovers earns him a hefty reward, but this dandy has to be quick on his feet becaus...

Animation studio Gainax presented a website for the release of a movie adaptation of the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann TV series in the fall of 2008. Both the original director and series script editor will return to work on the new project. Gainax will also be hosting four events to celebrate this occ...

In the backwater town of Bellforest lives a 14-year-old boy named Renton Thurston. He desires to leave his home behind and join the mercenary group known as Gekkostate, hoping to find some adventure to brighten up his mundane life. However, stuck between his grandfather's insistence to become a mech...

This musical film is the visual realization of "Discovery", an album by Daft Punk. It tells the story of a band of four extraterrestrial musicians who are kidnapped and brought back to Earth by an evil manager. Their only hopes lie with a space pilot from their home planet who, after receiving a dis...

Gradius is a 1985 Konami arcade game that established a classic shoot-em-up genre. Players control the Vic Viper to navigate horizontal scrolling levels and defeat enemy spacecraft using power-ups gained from collected capsules. Notable for its innovative weapon system and influence on subsequent ga...

Humanity, having faced extinction at the end of the 20th century, would not have entered the new millennium if it weren't for them. In 1969, during their youth, they created a symbol. In 1997, as the coming disaster slowly starts to unfold, that symbol returns. This is the story of a group of boys w...

Mega Man X4 is a 1997 action platformer developed in Japan for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It features two playable characters, X with his arm cannon and Zero utilizing an energy blade. Known for its challenging level design and intense shooter gameplay, it appeals to fans of retro video games...

R-Type is a challenging 1980s Japanese arcade shoot-em-up. Players pilot the R-9 Arrowhead starship to combat the Bydo alien invasion utilizing a Force Orb for defense and attack. The game’s distinctive horizontal scrolling gameplay and strategic use of power-ups make it notable for fans of classic...

Adult people all over Japan had been captivated by 20th Century Expo, theme parks that reenacted good old days of the 1970s (the last days of Japan's high economic growth). One day the adults disappeared into the theme parks, leaving their children abandoned. That was a plot by "Yesterday Once More,...

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect is a fast-paced first-person shooter released in 2005. Developed in the United Kingdom by Free Radical Design and published by Electronic Arts, it offered competitive multiplayer action set within a science fiction universe. The game’s focus on timed events appealed to...

Phantasy Star is a 1987 role-playing game for the Master System where player Alis seeks to defeat King Lassic after her brother’s death. The story follows her travels across multiple planets, gathering companions and items to avenge her brother and restore peace to the star system. It features tradi...

Axelay is a 1992 Super Nintendo shooter set within the Illis solar system during an invasion by the Armada of Annihilation. Players pilot the D117B space fighter to recover weaponry and combat alien forces across scrolling stages. The game features selectable weapon types that expand as the player a...

Defender is a horizontally scrolling shooter developed by Williams Electronics in 1981. The game tasks players with defending astronauts against waves of aliens on an unnamed planet, inspired by Space Invaders and Asteroids. It was created under the leadership of Eugene Jarvis, marking his first vid...

Phantasy Star Online is an online RPG developed for the Dreamcast by Sonic Team and published by Sega. Players engage in real-time action RPG combat with up to three others over the internet, completing quests and battling enemies. This title’s narrative diverges from prior installments within the P...

Mirai Sentai Timeranger was a Japanese tokusatsu series produced by Toei, debuting in 2000 and running until 2001. It succeeded Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive on TV Asahi, becoming part of the Super Hero Time block alongside Kamen Rider Kuuga. The series was later released on DVD in North America by Shout...

Dandy is a groovy, pompadour-wearing man who explores the stars in search of strange aliens for money, desiring to visit his favorite place: BooBies, the best diner in all the cosmos. Traversing the galaxies in his trusty ship, the Aloha Oe, Dandy is accompanied by his two equally unique friends: QT...