This is always an interesting question for me because I, like everyone here, think that there’s no need to “study up” on older games unless it’s something you need to do for work or study, or, I suppose, if that’s just how you like to engage with stuff, through recommendations. There was an earlier thread here trying to chart the evolution of 3D mechanics in platform games: https://forums.insertcredit.com/d/106-the-evolution-of-3d-platforming-in-videogames
everyone had kind of a different path to it, which was cool! since games are such a subjective experience, it really feels like if you’ve got the time, then experimenting on your own is the best way to go. Frank and I have this thing we like to do at game industry parties where we’ll bring a flash cart full of roms and set up on a TV, and just play whatever random thing comes up and try to find the fun in it. It’s more enjoyable with friends, but it does wind up being pretty fun and informative.
I also think that, in general, newer games are better than older ones, because they have decades of game design to learn from. But if it’s really something you enjoy, if I were to make a “you’ll get what this console is all about” list for each “major” console, in such a way that you’d understand basically everything insert credit is about in the process, quickly off the top of my head I’d go:
NES:
SMB 3
Shatterhand
Vice Project Doom
Crystalis
Legend of Zelda
Genesis:
Sonic 2
Ranger-X
Robocop vs Terminator (you have to have some “janky, but still fun anyway” in a genesis list)
Shining Force II
Gunstar Heroes
Turbografx:
Bonk’s Revenge
Gate of Thunder
Ys I&II
Valis 3
Devil’s Crush
SNES:
Super Mario World
Lufia 2
Chrono Trigger
Final Fight 3
Hagane
Saturn:
Nights into Dreams
Sega Rally Champ (plus)
Silhouette Mirage
Soukyuugurentai
Psychic Killer Taromaru
PSX:
Castlevania: SOTN
Jumping Flash
Vagrant Story
Silent Hill
Pepsiman (jank rule)
PS2:
Raw Danger!
R-Type Final
Bujingai (lol)
Berzerk
A Dog’s Life (jank rule)
Dreamcast:
Sonic Adventure
Space Channel 5
Jet Set Radio
Shenmue
D2 or Illbleed
360:
Gears of War
Resonance of Fate
Vanquish (which I hate btw)
Bullet Witch
Forza 2
GBA:
Ninja 5-0
Summon Night Sword Craft Story
Pokemon red/blue
Onimusha Tactics
Car Battler Joe
Vintage PC:
Doom
Secret of Monkey Island
Grim Fandango
Dune II
Chaos Engine
I only gave myself 15 minutes to do this as an exercise, but it’d probably cover it!?