UPDATE: As of December 6, 2022, Amazon Luna has removed the Retro channel from its options. This article will be kept as a historical reference for the channel's short-lived existence. If someone is interested in checking out these games, the majority of them are available on the Luna+ channel.
As stated in Amazon Luna's FAQ section, users with a Retro subscription can access the channel until January 6, 2023. After that date, their billing cycle will shift to Luna+. These subscribers' monthly price will remain frozen at $4.99 for the first 6 months, before changing to $9.99.
Amazon Luna officially launched in March 2022, and the cloud-based subscription service has been slowly trying to leave its mark on the gaming industry. Available in the mainland United States and accessible through an array of devices and avenues (including a plain old Google Chrome browser), Amazon Luna gives subscribers access to hundreds of games at the click of a button, permitting they have a strong enough internet connection to make use of the service.
Luna's library is split into specialized channels that each come with its own monthly price. The Retro channel is one of these categories, and as the name suggests, it focuses on older games. If someone feels like playing classic arcade titles, this is the channel to check out. What are the best Luna games in the Retro channel?
Every Game In The Retro Channel
Amazon Luna's Retro channel has a library with more than 70 titles, which includes compilations like the Capcom Arcade Stadium. Mostly consisting of arcade classics, this subscription covers run 'n' gun shooters, adventure games, and fighting titles, just to name a few examples.
The following table lists every standalone game and compilation included in Amazon Luna's Retro channel. Their genres, developers, and Metacritic scores are also provided.
Best Games In Amazon Luna's Retro Channel
Dusk
Dusk might have debuted in 2018, but the first-person shooter screams "retro." Inspired by '90s run-and-gun shooters, the game teleports players back to a time when low-polygon visuals ruled the world, and it is a sight to behold. However, Dusk's brilliance is built on more than just a nostalgia trip. The FPS delivers frantic and satisfying combat, creepy environments, and a surprisingly decent horror story across three campaigns. Even if it came out during the days of Doom, Dusk would stand out from the crowd.
As aggressive enemies rush the screen in search of blood, quick movement and reflexes are the only way to survive. Dusk is a thrill ride from beginning to end, and someone does not need to be a fan of classic shooters to appreciate this modern nod to the past.
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim and its sequel are both among the best Retro games on Amazon Luna, and the only reason the former gets the nod is to discourage newcomers from skipping directly to the second entry. Blending side-scrolling platforming with run-and-gun gameplay, Earthworm Jim pushed the envelope at the time of its release by continually shaking up its levels to ensure things never got too repetitive. That does not mean the campaign is without its frustrating moments, but they are overshadowed and outnumbered by the game's high points.
Earthworm Jim's visuals have aged incredibly well considering the project debuted in 1995. The game also has a wicked sense of humor that complements the package's overall story and presentation.
Mega Man Legacy Collection (Mega Man 1-6)
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Games Included |
Mega Man |
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Mega Man 2 |
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Mega Man 3 |
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Mega Man 4 |
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Mega Man 5 |
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Mega Man 6 |
When discussing the best retro games, Capcom's Mega Man has to be included in some form or another. Luna's Retro channel has the 2015 Legacy Collection that includes the first six entries in the series, all of which are classics in their own right. Unlike the Contra and Castlevania compilations, Mega Man Legacy Collection is quite consistent in terms of quality, and there is no reason to skip any games. Even the original release in the franchise, 1987's Mega Man, gets a lot of things spot on and deserves to be checked out before someone moves on to the (superior) sequels.
Mega Man offers tight platforming, unforgettable and challenging boss fights, and fantastic music. Some games do certain things better than other entries in the compilation, but all of them are fun in their own right. That said, Mega Man 2 is a drastic improvement over its predecessor, and newcomers to Capcom's property should consider jumping to the sequel if they find themselves struggling to get through the original game.
The King Of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match
Generally speaking, any of the SNK fighting games included in Amazon Luna's Retro channel rank among the subscription's best titles. They are just that good, and while they are dated in some ways, the gameplay generally holds up well. KoF '98 is a classic, but KoF 2002: Unlimited Match is probably the best "old" entry in the franchise, and the remaster gives the game a shiny coat of paint.
Featuring a massive roster of characters and a decent array of options for solo players alongside many multiplayer features, KoF 2002: Unlimited Match serves as a testament to the timelessness of some of the Neo Geo's masterpieces. The gameplay is still as brilliant as ever, although it does come with a learning curve.
Metal Slug 3
Sticking with SNK for the time being, Metal Slug 3 is another arcade staple that has more than withstood the test of time. Arguably representing the pinnacle of the run 'n' gun genre, Metal Slug 3 is an action movie captured in video game form, and it comes with all the over-the-top chaos that such a description demands.
Metal Slug's charm has always been its relative straightforwardness – players simply need to shoot everything that moves until the credits roll. This formula is made for arcades, but it also works well outside that format.
Flashback
Originally released in the early '90s, Flashback continued to explore the potential of cinematic platformers started by the likes of Prince of Persia. Featuring gorgeous backdrops and more deliberate gameplay that prioritizes realism, Flashback is one of the better examples of this type of game from this era. It has aged better than Another World, which is also available on Amazon Luna's Retro Channel.
The remaster preserves the vanilla version while providing a modernized alternative that comes with a few quality-of-life enhancements. Although nostalgia would enhance someone's time with this platformer, Flashback is still worth experiencing for the first time.
Ghosts 'N Goblins
An arcade and NES classic, Ghosts 'n Goblins helped coin the term "Nintendo Hard," which just means that players will see the Game Over screen a lot. The first entry in Capcom's series introduced the world to Sir Arthur, a knight who goes on a harrowing journey to save a princess. Naturally, this mission involves facing off against all sorts of mythical creatures, including dragons and demons.
Ghosts 'n Goblins' difficulty is infamous, but the game seldom comes across as unfair or cheap. Sir Arthur has all the necessary tools to succeed, even if his margin of error is painfully small. 1988's Ghouls 'n Ghosts is also on Amazon Luna's Retro channel and a great game.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection
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Games Included (Must-play Entries are Emboldened) |
Castlevania |
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Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest |
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Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse |
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Super Castlevania 4 |
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Castlevania: The Adventure |
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Castlevania 2: Belmont's Revenge |
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Castlevania Bloodlines |
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Kid Dracula |
Konami's Castlevania shaped the action-adventure genre, and this compilation contains some of the best and most influential early games in the series. Practically every entry included in this collection is, at the very least, good, and there are a handful of titles that are considerably better than that.
People without any connection to the franchise might be tempted to dismiss this package, but that would be a mistake as the best games' value is hardly dependent on nostalgia. Super Castlevania 4 and Bloodlines are good places to start, while Dracula's Curse is also a masterpiece.
BloodRayne: Terminal Cut
Amazon Luna's Retro channel predominantly focuses on arcade games, but there are a couple of exceptions. BloodRayne and its sequel debuted on the Xbox and PlayStation 2, and they are very much products of the early 2000s. As such, someone's appreciation for these titles will depend on their tolerance for some jank and nostalgia. Although they share similarities, these games play quite differently from each other, with the first entry having more straightforward combat compared to its sequel.
Although far from a perfect game, BloodRayne has a few things in its favor: atmosphere, dated but solid art, and, again, dated but solid gameplay. The Terminal Cut version does not change much beyond slightly enhancing the visuals and improving the performance, so this is pretty much the same game that came out in 2002.
Shock Troopers
Released in 1997, Shock Troopers debuted after the run-and-gun boom, so it never quite transcended cult classic status; however, this SNK release stands among the genre's better creations. Shock Troopers plays like a culmination of everything that came before it. It is polished, replayable, and addictive.
The game nails its controls and movement, granting players a broad range of options and freedom in combat scenarios. The frantic action keeps things moving at a blistering pace, while generally avoiding coming across as overwhelming. With multiple playable characters, two modes, and three routes, Shock Troopers has a lot more content than initially seems to be the case. The game's sequel, 2nd Squad, is also on Amazon Luna's Retro channel.
Dragon's Lair
Dragon's Lair needs context to be fully appreciated. Nowadays, a game consisting of just (stunning) cutscenes and quick-time events would be likely criticized for its lack of gameplay, permitting the story is not phenomenal. However, in 1983, Dragon's Lair was unlike anything else in gaming; here was an arcade experience with visuals comparable to Saturday morning cartoons. Even all these years later, the animation is still impressive, a testament to the immeasurable talent of its director Don Bluth (An American Tail, The Secret of NIMH).
Dragon's Lair's technical prowess is not its only achievement as the game also delivers an entertaining and consistently funny storyline. Amazon Luna's Retro channel also has Space Ace and Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp, two similar projects that tend to be overshadowed by Dragon's Lair despite being nearly as good.
Street Fighter 2' -Hyper Fighting-
The '90s was jam-packed with influential fighting games, and Capcom's Street Fighter 2 stands head-and-shoulders above everything else the genre has ever produced in terms of significance. Even though this is the title that put fighting games on the map, that does not necessarily mean that SF2 holds up in this day and age; in fact, the vanilla version is a bit too dated to be worth revisiting all these years later. Luckily, Capcom released roughly a million other versions of this seminal project.
Also known as Street Fighter 2' Turbo, this edition increases the gameplay's speed, heightening not only the combat's difficulty but also its intensity. This change might not sound huge on paper, but it makes a world of difference in practice, helping to extend SF2's longevity by arguably decades. The fighting genre has improved by leaps and bounds since the early '90s, but some games are timeless.
Contra Anniversary Collection
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Games Included (Must-play Entries are Emboldened) |
Contra (Arcade) |
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Super Contra |
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Contra (NA) |
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Contra (JP) |
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Super C |
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Contra 3: The Alien Wars |
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Operation C |
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Contra Hard Corps |
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Super Probotector Alien Rebels |
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Probotector |
Konami is doing next to nothing with most of its franchise, but at least the publisher's legacy titles are reasonably easy to access. The Contra Anniversary Collection contains the run and gun franchise's earliest releases and a few spin-offs, and it offers a few options like different screen resolutions along with a couple of extras. While somewhat bare-bones, the package preserves the brilliance of these bona fide classics, even if not every game in the collection is a masterpiece.
Contra 3: The Alien Wars is a contender for the best run and gun game ever, and time has done nothing to diminish its addictive gameplay. Contra: Hard Corps and Super Contra are also pretty great; in fact, most of the compilation's inclusions are, at worst, serviceable.
Strife: Veteran Edition
1996's Strife tends to be thrown in a pile alongside other post-Doom first-person shooters released in the '90s. At face value, that seems like a fair judgment since the game's gunplay and aesthetic are very similar to id Software's seminal project; however, Strife was quite an innovative title in its own right. Rogue Entertainment combined FPS and RPG elements to create an ambitious but flawed experience. Contrary to the likes of Doom, Strife does not invite players to kill everything in sight since some NPCs are friendly and provide story-relevant quests.
The RPG elements extend to the protagonist's selection of abilities as well, granting a sense of progression that goes beyond just unlocking new weapons. Compared to RPGs like Deus Ex, Strife is quaint and dated; however, that does not take anything away from its attempts to push the envelope upon its initial release. Although nothing special, the gunplay is fine enough for its era.
Pong
An argument can be made that a more "perfect" game than Pong does not exist. Frequently regarded as the first mainstream video game, Pong can be enjoyed by people of all ages or experience levels; all someone needs to do is look at the screen and they will instantly understand how to play the game.
Pong is eternal. Even as gaming crafts photo-realistic visuals and complex gameplay systems that feature mechanics upon mechanics, there will always be room for Pong.