Retro Games That Help With Anxiety

[popsicle]

On 2/25/2020 at 11:40 PM, GoldLeader said:

I Love me some Pinball!

 

I usually like crazy, evil ragers like Jaki Crush on Super Famicom (Sequel to Devil's Crush on Turbografx (Dragon's Fury on Genesis) so you know it's Awesome), but honestly to just relax with a nice game of chill, ambient pinball, I Totally recommend Super Pinball Behind The Mask on SNES.  The music and style are so relaxing, it's like there's no pressure...I get calm just thinking about it haha...

 

Another seriously No Pressure game is Aquanaut's Holiday on Play Station, though most people don't get it....As I recall, you are piloting a sub around the ocean looking at fish and any other weird thing that pops up...

Did any of you ever play Balls of Steel for pc? It's from 3drealms (of Duke Nuke'm fame) and released in 1997. By far my favorite digital pinball game. Niice physics, neat digital effects and mini games, great sound effects, and five very unique tables. The sci-fi table and the barbarian are my favorites. Kept me coming back to beat my own high scores. I keep waiting for it to show up on GOG but searching the forums there it looks like it came and went for some reason. License issues I think. 

 

 

[Nintendo64]

5 hours ago, zetastrike said:

I would recommend Columns on the Genesis.  The music has a relaxing vibe and the jewels make pleasant sound effects when you clear them.  The colors are pretty too.  It's pretty hard to beat as a calming menial task.

 

Great suggestion, I just tried it out and I definitely feel that Columns is a very relaxing game with some calming music and sounds. I think puzzle games are a great way to help relieve anxiety, as I think my favorite so far is Fire N' Ice. Thanks for the suggestion, I hope this helps others as well.

 

Sorry Ive never played that pinball game, but I think pinball games are a great way to help relieve anxiety. I just tried the williams collection on PS2 and i really thought it was a soothing game to play.

 

 

Edited May 2, 2020 by Nintendo64

[Nintendo64]

I want to edit this list. Tony Hawk 2 is a good game to relieve anxiety for me , but only sometimes and on most levels. When trying advance in later stages in career mode, especially in the Philadelphia stage, it is actually stressful at times to obtain money to open up new levels. I still think its a great game to relieve anxiety, but In my opinion the Philadelphia stage is not an easy one to get through, and it can be stressful at times.

 

 

[Steven Pendleton]

You know what else you can try? Road Avenger/Road Blaster. It's really short and you'll probably get a perfect score on your very first attempt, but if you have a way to play it, it's worth it since it's so enjoyable.

 

Another game (series) with road in the title to try is Road Rash. It's pretty simple. Race on your motorcycle to the finish while beating the crap out of the other riders! The other riders will do the same to you and the police will try to arrest you or just confiscate your bike. If you crash, you go flying through the air so damn far and fast that it's hilarious and it always makes me laugh. Then you have to get back to your bike, which might be in the middle of the road, so you or your bike might get run over by a few cars or the other riders on your way back to the bike. Get money, get better bikes and parts, and race more. It's pretty choppy (at least the 16-bit games are) and the music is not so great, but it's fun and simple, so maybe try those.

 

Some of them have multiplayer as well, and Road Rash 2 joins Metal Gear Solid 1 and 4 and The Yukon Trail as the only games that I know of that take place at least partially in my glorious home state of Alaska, and that alone makes it awesome.

[Nintendo64]

18 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

You know what else you can try? Road Avenger/Road Blaster. It's really short and you'll probably get a perfect score on your very first attempt, but if you have a way to play it, it's worth it since it's so enjoyable.

 

Another game (series) with road in the title to try is Road Rash.

I don't have Road Blaster, but i looked it up and it looks like a really good game. If I can get it i will definitely try it out. I have Roadblasters for the NES and Sega Genesis, but they look like completely different games. Also I think your right about the Road Rash series. I play it on the genesis from time to time and think it does help relieve some anxiety. Thanks for your suggestions, Ill let you know if i can play RoadAvenger/Road Blaster.

Edited May 16, 2020 by Nintendo64

[Nintendo64]

I would like to add another game to the list. I think Rygar for the NES is a really good game to help relieve some anxiety, and I have really enjoyed it. There is something about the weapon used in the game that makes the game really fun to play. I have not completed it yet, although I have been playing it off an on for over 20 years, but I am going to try to complete it in the recent future.

[TheCoolDave]

Another suggestion for a game to get lost in... Not really retro but, games with a good story, and some people even feel like they are playing a movie.  I am referring to the Uncharted Series on the PS3 ( 1-3) and PS4 (4).

 

I know this type of game is not everyone's cup of tea but, the story plays out like a hip modern day Indiana Jones and Naughty Dog really does well pulling the story across...and you can get lost in them...

 

 

[Nintendo64]

17 hours ago, TheCoolDave said:

Another suggestion for a game to get lost in... Not really retro but, games with a good story, and some people even feel like they are playing a movie.  I am referring to the Uncharted Series on the PS3 ( 1-3) and PS4 (4).

Thanks for the suggestion. I will try those games out as for I have the Uncharted collection for PS4, but I haven't really put much time into the games.

Edited May 28, 2020 by Nintendo64

[Nintendo64]

I found another game that I think helps a little bit with anxiety. Try playing some Jeopardy for the PS2 (1 human player vs the 2 computer players) but play with multiple people around you so its like your on the same team to try to beat the computer opponents. I found this was a good way to get lost in the game and have some teamwork trying to figure out the answers. I played the PS2 version, which is a really good game, but I'm sure other console versions of Jeopardy would work as well to help relieve some anxiety.

[Nintendo64]

I would like to add another game to the list. Rush n' Attack for the NES is a game that I feel helped relieve me of some anxiety. I like to play this game using save states, as for it can be quite difficult at times, and I feel that using save states makes the game more relaxing to play. Just like with Rygar, Rush n' Attacks knife weapon is a very different type of combat weapon than most of the games I've played. I would definitely recommend playing this game to try to relieve some anxiety.

Edited June 6, 2020 by Nintendo64

[CreeB]

On 1/12/2020 at 12:20 AM, CaptainBreakout said:

REZ (PS2 or Dreamcast)

   Also quite "relaxing" for your girlfriend or wife if you have the Japanese USB vibrator accessory.

I love Rez. Swayzak, isn't that the main character's name?

[CaptainBreakout]

9 hours ago, CreeB said:

I love Rez. Swayzak, isn't that the main character's name?

I donno... but he has like five different forms.  It's some iteration of spiritual musical evolution. Levels of. Or something like.

 

Anyways, you want to keep not dying, so the vibrator continues to function.  That's kind of the rule of the game, because when you DO die, the vibrator ceases to function, and then generally your female friend holding the vibrator throws her arms around you and it's your turn to interface directly. Boss battle city.

 

This why it's best not to be TOO good at this game if you're playing "two player"... since your vibration co-pilot will usually find a way to complete her quest before your mission is done if it drags on too long.  In that case, she'll just hang out and be bored waiting for you to finish.

 

So, as per rules of engagement- Die strategically! (says the Captain)

 

[Nintendo64]

I have to say so far, I have not found a better game for my anxiety other than Fire N Ice for the NES.

 

I am still looking, but just to list it, one game I have found that is horrible for my anxiety is the original Megaman for the (NES). I got to the Dr. Wiley stage and it just seems to cause me anxiety when i get to the first boss. For the most part the game is not that bad for anxiety, but the final stage first boss, is a part of the game that I would not recommend to help out with anxiety. 

Edited June 18, 2020 by Nintendo64

[Nintendo64]

I'd like to add another game to the list. I found that Strider 2 for the PS1 is a good game to relieve anxiety. I only played the first level, but I found it fun to play as well as relaxing. I think the different type of weapon that is used in Strider might have something to do with it. I hope all who are following this thread are doing well, and I hope that some of these suggestions might help relieve some of your anxiety along the way.

Edited July 7, 2020 by Nintendo64

[IntelliMission]

Here are my recommendations for the different systems I've owned:

 

- Amstrad CPC (also available for C64 and others): Bruce Lee.

 

- MS-DOS: Loom.

 

- Playstation: Croc.

 

- Playstation 2 (if it counts as retro!): Shadow of the Colossus.

Edited July 7, 2020 by IntelliMission

[+wongojack]

This thread is interesting to me because I am familiar with like . . . all of the games the OP thinks are relaxing, and I would NEVER think to suggest them.  Rush N Attack?  That game is about memorizing enemy patterns which is very tedious in my opinion, and I get quickly bored with it.  I guess I really have no idea what relieves anxiety.  However, hearing that you are using save states gets me more in line with your thinking.  Fire N Ice/Solomon's key is another one with lots of memorization and trial and error.  I don't really want to play that game without save states. 

 

Which leads me to making a suggestion . . . I noticed you haven't mentioned any games on the C64, so it might not be your thing, but if you like Fire N Ice you could try out the Ultimate Wizard.  It is a screen by screen game where you have to clear the screen while avoiding enemies and traps etc.  Kinda similar to Fire N Ice.

 

Picking up on some of your comments - "getting lost in the world of Super Mario 64" etc.  I really like the Bethesda games (Fallout, Elder Scrolls) for getting into a mode where I can just explore and do whatever, but those might be a little too big based on your original comments.

 

In the "getting into the zone" category that some have mentioned, I'll throw in Kaboom!  You need paddles and a CRT to really "get there" so it is kind of inaccessible, but man - find the zone and there is some real bliss there.

 

On 6/6/2020 at 4:02 PM, Nintendo64 said:

I would like to add another game to the list. Rush n' Attack for the NES is a game that I feel helped relieve me of some anxiety. I like to play this game using save states, as for it can be quite difficult at times, and I feel that using save states makes the game more relaxing to play. Just like with Rygar, Rush n' Attacks knife weapon is a very different type of combat weapon than most of the games I've played. I would definitely recommend playing this game to try to relieve some anxiety.

 

On 6/18/2020 at 4:25 PM, Nintendo64 said:

I have to say so far, I have not found a better game for my anxiety other than Fire N Ice for the NES.

 

I am still looking, but just to list it, one game I have found that is horrible for my anxiety is the original Megaman for the (NES). I got to the Dr. Wiley stage and it just seems to cause me anxiety when i get to the first boss. For the most part the game is not that bad for anxiety, but the final stage first boss, is a part of the game that I would not recommend to help out with anxiety. 

 

[Nintendo64]

15 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

Here are my recommendations for the different systems I've owned:

 

- Amstrad CPC (also available for C64 and others): Bruce Lee.

 

- MS-DOS: Loom.

 

- Playstation: Croc.

 

- Playstation 2 (if it counts as retro!): Shadow of the Colossus.

I own Shadow of the Colossus, but it seemed rather daunting to get into, due the amount of land I walked through just in the beginning of the game, although I will definitely give it another try. I will try Croc if I get the chance to own it, as for I have the PS1

 

11 hours ago, wongojack said:

This thread is interesting to me because I am familiar with like . . . all of the games the OP thinks are relaxing, and I would NEVER think to suggest them.  Rush N Attack?  That game is about memorizing enemy patterns which is very tedious in my opinion, and I get quickly bored with it.  I guess I really have no idea what relieves anxiety.  However, hearing that you are using save states gets me more in line with your thinking.  Fire N Ice/Solomon's key is another one with lots of memorization and trial and error.  I don't really want to play that game without save states. 

 

Which leads me to making a suggestion . . . I noticed you haven't mentioned any games on the C64, so it might not be your thing, but if you like Fire N Ice you could try out the Ultimate Wizard.  It is a screen by screen game where you have to clear the screen while avoiding enemies and traps etc.  Kinda similar to Fire N Ice.

 

Picking up on some of your comments - "getting lost in the world of Super Mario 64" etc.  I really like the Bethesda games (Fallout, Elder Scrolls) for getting into a mode where I can just explore and do whatever, but those might be a little too big based on your original comments.

 

In the "getting into the zone" category that some have mentioned, I'll throw in Kaboom!  You need paddles and a CRT to really "get there" so it is kind of inaccessible, but man - find the zone and there is some real bliss there.

Yeah I agree with you about Rush N Attack and Fire N Ice, I feel that save states were needed for both to give the games a more comfortable/relaxing play at your own pace style.  The C64 is something I need to try, Ive seen some good suggestions, but I dont own the system. Maybe in the future I could try to obtain the system and these games that have been suggested. After watching a video on youtube, Kaboom seemed like a really interesting suggestion, and I can see how it could be an in the zone type of game.

 

Thank you both for the suggestions, they really seem like some good games to try out to help relieve some anxiety.

[+thegoldenband]

The PlayStation games Tail of the Sun and Kaze no Notam (Japan only) are pretty chilled-out -- especially the latter, which is a hot-air balloon simulator.

 

I personally find Tigger's Honey Hunt on the N64 rather soothing.

[littleman jack]

Three that help me feel chill are Sea Wolf (a homebrew for the 2600), and any version of Bosconian (including the Namco Museum versions for modern-ish systems, the plug in play version included with Pac-Man, and Kobo Deluxe for Linux), and Burgertime or any of its variations (Beef Drop for Atari 5200 and 7800 or Burger Space for Linux).

 

I think Sea Wolf is the most powerful, however, for inducing calm. I noticed that it has the same effect on my son and my dad, who are 62 years apart. All three of us can play it for quite a while, having fun, and feeling chilled out. Good times.

[IntelliMission]

Hey @Nintendo64, perhaps I didn't understand your "requirements" when I recommended Shadow of the Colossus.

 

I believe you said you didn't want to feel like the world is too big, right? I think you were looking for some quiet experiences with pseudo open worlds that are not super big and where things kind of "fit into place" as you explore.

 

I still believe Shadow of the Colossus is a game everyone should play, but the world is definitely large and playing the game could have a melancholic or frustrating effect if you just need a more predictable experience. I like to discover things in the world of Shadow of the Colossus, but so much exploration can generate anxiety. I never thought about it.

 

So if you already tried that game and it was bad for you, perhaps I can change that recommendation to give you some pseudo open worlds:

 

- Tomb Raider (MS-DOS version preferably, as you can save anywhere): This game is a masterpiece and it has that kind of pseudo open world experience you are looking for. Yeah, there are some animals that appear ouf of nowhere, but after you kill them it's a relaxing experience where you explore some caverns or tombs that look bad but feel great. The shape of the levels is fantastic and you can find secrets and stuff. You can use several types of jumps to access to remote places, so you can spend a lot of time planning your next move in those mysterious places. It could work for you. The version I prefer is a CD rip without videos and music and I also played it in low res. The end result was pretty relaxing for me.

 

- Ico (PS2): Similar feel of Shadow of the Colossus, but the graphics are more defined and the world is not so open. The good thing of SotC is that there are no enemies in the open world, but in this case there are very few enemies and exploring the castle feels good. It can be relaxing. This game doesn't have the drama of SotC, it all feels more spontaneous as you control the little kid.

Edited July 8, 2020 by IntelliMission

[Nintendo64]

16 hours ago, thegoldenband said:

The PlayStation games Tail of the Sun and Kaze no Notam (Japan only) are pretty chilled-out

I will look into these, hopefully I can find them because its harder for me to locate Japanese games than USA ones.

 

16 hours ago, littleman jack said:

Burgertime or any of its variations

I like this suggestion, but I think its another game I would need to use save states, as for I am not good at the game and would feel more relaxed playing it at my own pace.

8 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

perhaps I didn't understand your "requirements" when I recommended Shadow of the Colossus.

Sorry If i came off that way, I didn't mean to infer there are any requirements at all, to each's own. I appreciate your suggestions, and I will definitely Give Shadow of the Colossus another try.  I feel like some games that might be relaxing for some, might not make others feel relaxed at all. That's what is great about all of these different suggestions, because people on this forum can try out these different games, and hopefully find certain games will help relieve them of some anxiety.

 

I also liked the suggestion of Tomb Raider.  I own the PS1 version of Tomb Raider, was that the same game or similar to the MS DOS version?

Edited July 8, 2020 by Nintendo64

[IntelliMission]

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.

 

It's interesting how I prefer games with no voices or dialogs such as Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Croc or the pirated version of Tomb Raider for PC with no voices or CGI scenes. I feel that story in video games is usually heavily overrated and I believe it's better to make the player interact with the environment in a way that they create their own story. Not sure how that affects anxiety, though.

Edited July 8, 2020 by IntelliMission

[Badaboom]

One game that I loved to relax with on the PS3 was Flowers.

[+thegoldenband]

1 hour ago, Nintendo64 said:

I will look into these, hopefully I can find them because its harder for me to locate Japanese games than USA ones.

Just to clarify, Tail of the Sun was released in the US (though it's one of the rarer games for the PlayStation). Kaze no Notam is the Japanese exclusive. They're by the same developer, i.e. Artdink, who were known for very quirky, low-key games.

[+wongojack]

On 7/7/2020 at 10:22 PM, Nintendo64 said:

The C64 is something I need to try, Ive seen some good suggestions, but I dont own the system. Maybe in the future I could try to obtain the system and these games that have been suggested.

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.